The Choices We Make
by Rexy48
Summary: One moment Ronon and McKay were there and the next they were gone, swept up by the bright light of the culling beam.
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: The Choices We Make  
AUTHOR: Rexy48

Disclaimer: I don't own them, no money was made, yada yada yada.  
A/N: Set mid-season 2, after The Hive. Anything up to that is fair game. Also, if you haven't read 'The Cursed One' or 'Miryana', I suggest you read those first.  
Reviews: Yes, please!

Description: One moment Ronon and McKay were there and the next they were gone, swept up by the bright light of the culling beam.

* * *

Ronon shot his blaster up at the Dart, growling in frustration and anger as the craft dodged the red blast. It had appeared out of nowhere, with no warning from either Teyla or the guards at the gate. It had already circled once, firing its weapon though missing those on the ground. Sheppard and Teyla had managed to make it to the other side of the clearing, shooting their own weapons up at the craft while nearby he could hear McKay breathing heavily. His sidearm was in his hand, but the scientist wasn't firing at the craft, his wide eyes staring up at the sky in terror. He had barely dodged the culling beam the first time. 

As the Dart flew out to make another pass, Ronon ran toward McKay, grabbing the man at the shoulder and hoisting him to his feet. "Move it McKay!" he ordered, pushing him forward. "We have to get to the other side, now move!" Their side of the clearing held too few trees to provide adequate cover – it'd be hard to dodge another culling attempt. They needed to make it across the field to join Sheppard and Teyla in the thicker and larger forest. It might not be a perfect defense, but it was definitely better than what they had now.

As they ran across the field, Ronon could hear Sheppard and Teyla's weapons firing at the Dart as it began to make its way back. Ronon paused to fire his own weapon, grinning in satisfaction as his shot struck the wing of the Dart. Yet instead of turning away it continued onward, its smoking wing making a trail across the sky as it headed straight for…

"McKay, run!" The scientist turned his head, probably to shout some sarcastic response, when he saw the Dart flying toward him. He turned back and ran with all he had. Ronon fired once more before running after him. The man was too slow – there was no way he was going to make it! Ronon's long strides brought him quickly to the scientist, where he grabbed onto his vest and began to pull him along. He could hear the culling beam on the ground behind them coming closer. With a final effort Ronon pulled McKay forward to throw him out of the way. A sudden flash of white light filled his vision and he knew no more.


	2. Chapter 2

_**48 hours ago…**_

Velia was like the other planets in the Pegasus galaxy – green grass, blue sky, trees and mountains and rivers. Last week Sgt. Hackett's team had made contact with the locals, a group of people whose level of technology resembled the early 1900s. Advanced in terms of populations encountered so far, but by no means anything worth getting exciting over. The old ruins outside the town, however, were another matter.

The decayed buildings, possibly a science outpost, were definitely of Ancient design, though the wear and tear of the ages had taken its toll. Quick scans showed odd fluctuations of power that faded almost immediately after emerging – not enough to make sense of but definitely enough to cause interest. In addition to the ruins by the city, an old mining facility had been discovered several miles northeast of the town.

Two groups had been dispatched to the planet. The first were to broker a fair trade that would allow them to explore the ruins, which the locals considered sacred and strictly off limits. The second was sent to the mining facility to see if any data could be recovered from the ancient consoles as well as catalog what minerals remained. Teyla and Ronon were accompanying Hackett's team to help guard the various scientists at the mine. Sheppard and McKay were to broker the trade agreement, since only two people were permitted to attend the meeting. The scientist wasn't happy about that idea, suggesting he go to the mines while Teyla accompany Sheppard. Yet the Colonel, confident in his own negotiation skills, thought McKay's opinion on the ruins and any possible technology was the better option. Thus one astrophysicist reluctantly accompanied the soldier to the village.

Their leader was Magistrate Kizel, an older yet still physically fit man with graying black hair and dark brown eyes. His clothes resembled those of the Renaissance area on Earth, complete with a blue cloak and plumed hat. After introductions had been made, Sheppard and McKay settled down in his small office to begin negotiations. Although Kizel had looked at the accompanying Ulata Sitera with a question in his eyes, he said nothing, allowing the creature to take up a position a little ways from the table. Although she appeared relaxed, the two Atlanteans knew she was keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

The negotiation talks began in the usual idle chitchat in order to gauge a better understanding of the other. It soon migrated to the typical 'I have this, you have that, let's trade', with the eventual offerings of medicine in exchange for access to the ruins.

"I do not understand you interest in our sacred ground," the Magistrate stated. "Only our priests are allowed into the holy city, and even then none has stepped foot inside in nearly a full generation. Why are you so insistent?"

"We believe the ruins are the remains of an Ancient science facility," Sheppard answered. "We're hoping they might've left something behind that can be used in the fight against the Wraith. And let me assure you, any knowledge we gain will be shared among our people."

"And if there is nothing to be found?"

"We'll still uphold our end of the trade. Either way you come out ahead."

"I see, and you believe you understand the devices left behind by the Ancestors." Magistrate Kizel paused a moment before reaching into one of his cloak's pockets, taking out and placing a small object on the table. It was no larger than a golf ball and colored various shades of dark blue. The two Atlanteans looked at each other briefly, recognizing it to be of Ancient design. "This device was discovered recently by our scientists. We believe it to be of Ancestral design, but are unsure of its purpose."

Sheppard noted the lack of details, specifically where the device had been found, but said nothing. Instead he watched as McKay reached out and grabbed it almost hungrily, twisting it around in his hand while his eyes examined every angle of it.

"Hmm" was all he said before taking a small scanner from his pack and fiddling with it. Kizel looked on with interest as the scientist quietly mumbled to himself, looking between the device and scanner. "Ah yes, I see." Lowering the scanner, McKay touched a few spots on the device, causing it to start emitting a soft hum. With a smug expression he placed it back on the table, where it began to glow, faint at first, then bright enough to engulf the entire device. Both Sheppard and Kizel started to lean forward to get a better look but stopped as an image appeared above the device.

"What is it?"

"I believe it's an interactive map of this solar system," McKay answered.

"This is truly amazing." Magistrate Kizel's voice was filled awe as his eyes took in the display before him. Floating in the air was a holographic image of five planets of various sizes slowly orbiting around a star. Several moons also orbited around their respective planets. Every object in the image was so detailed it seemed as if they were truly hovering in the room.

"Yes, isn't it," McKay stated as he switched back to the scanner. "It appears it was used to identify the different elemental makeup of the planets and moons in this solar system. Kind of like a miner's guide, but on a much grander scale."

"How does it work?" Sheppard asked. It reminded him of the image that had appeared when he sat in the chair in the Antarctic base.

"There are two methods for making it work. The first is the standard mental application. The second is a basic point-and-click. Observe." McKay reached out and stabbed at one of the outer planets. The rest of the hologram faded away as the image zoomed to the planet and its two moons, displaying data next to each. Another touch on one of the moons zoomed in the image even more, with more data listed beside it. Kizel recognized it as the Ancestral language though he could not read it.

"As you can see," McKay continued, "it lists the known elements discovered on the planet or moon, as well as the coordinates where they can be found." He pressed a symbol in the bottom right corner twice and the image returned to the original map. Pressing another symbol in the bottom left corner shut the device off. "Of course, it's unclear when the data on this device were recorded. It's possible the Ancients already mined the planets and moons, making the locations of the mineral deposits obsolete."

"That is amazing, Doctor McKay," Kizel stated. "Our scientists have worked for years trying to understand the devices left by the Ancestors, yet it only took you a few minutes to understand this one. And you read the language of the Ancestors? Truly amazing!" Sheppard rolled his eyes as the familiar haughty look appeared on the scientist's face.

"Yes, I know." He reached out and picked up the device, turning it over in his hand. The device began to glow for just a moment before shutting off again. "There's not much too it really, just an interactive data storage device. We have many devices similar to this back home. If the data is indeed outdated, it'd be practical to reconfigure this device to store more relevant issues."

"And you could do this?" Kizel asked, clearly intrigued.

"Perhaps," Sheppard cut in before McKay could brag some more. Ignoring the annoyed look he plucked the device from his friend's hand and handed it back to the Magistrate. "It comes back if you will allow us access to the ruins."

"You must understand the ancient city is believed to still carry the wandering spirits of the Ancestors. The last time they were disturbed we were punished with a great fire. We do not wish to risk angering the spirits again."

"Oh come on, wandering spirits? What's next? Voodoo dolls and mummy curses?"

"McKay!" Sheppard reprimanded, glaring at the scientist before turning back to the Magistrate, who looked more annoyed than upset. "We would be careful not to disturb any of the, uh, spirits. Nothing would be removed without permission." He shot a quick look at McKay, who closed his mouth with a huff.

The Magistrate gave a thoughtful look, his gaze switching between the two men and the blue ball in his hand. "I believe we can come to an arrangement. Please excuse me while I consult with the council." He rose from the table and exited the room behind hanging curtains.

"Have you lost your mind Colonel?" McKay hissed once the man was out of sight. "You know as well as I there are no such things as angry spirits. We need to get into those ruins. There's an unusual amount of power coming from what is supposed to be an abandoned facility."

"I know, you told me several times on the way here. But we can't just barge in without permission. It'd destroy any chance at a treaty."

"Knew it should've been Teyla," McKay muttered, crossing his arms as he leaned back in the chair.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sheppard asked defensively.

"She's much better at negotiating these types of things. Do more good here than keeping watch over the geologists in the mines."

Before Sheppard could respond the Magistrate returned. "We have reached an agreement. You will be allowed to enter the holy city on the condition that one of our priests accompanies you. But he will need time to prepare, to ask the spirits' permission for safe passage through the city."

"Oh please," McKay rolled his eyes.

"Rodney!"

"Fine, whatever, just as long as we can search the ruins. Can we go now?"

Sheppard gave a warning glance to McKay before turning to Kizel. "When will your priest be ready?"

"The preparations will take a full day."

"Alright then, two mornings from now, we have a deal," Sheppard said, holding out his hand. The Magistrate smiled as he accepted the handshake.

"Very good, Colonel Sheppard. Now, please excuse me as I attend to other matters. I will have my aide Suya see you out." With a slight bow the Magistrate once again exited.

"See, that wasn't so bad," Sheppard commented. McKay just rolled his eyes.

oOo oOo oOo

"Now that is just fascinating," Dr. Phillips stated, jabbing at one of the large rocks strewn about on the floor. His colleague Dr. Kimble moved forward to look at the scanner, her eyes wide as she read over the data.

"You're right. I've never encountered such a high concentration of silica in a subterranean location before. I would expect this if we were closer to an active or at least once active volcano, yet I don't recall seeing any on the preliminary reports we received."

"True, yet I believe the report stated that the planet had …"

A loud yawn interrupted their conversation. The two scientists turned to frown at their current guardian before moving back to their work. From his position against the wall, Ronon was bored. Completely and utterly bored. He thought watching over McKay was dull, it was noting compared to watching two so-called scientists look at rocks. Rocks! These Atlanteans, with technology far beyond anything else in the Pegasus galaxy, were 'oohing' and 'ahhing' over stupid rocks.

The mining facility was found to be an extremely vast complex, with miles of spanning passages beneath the surface. The scientists had been impatient, forced to wait as their military escort searched the immediate area for danger. The main entrance turned out to be well preserved despite the amount of dust and grime that had gathered during the ages. After a perimeter was secured, Teyla had volunteered to stay behind in the entrance with several scientists while Ronon and the other soldiers began to explore the network of tunnels. After realizing the extent of passages, the soldiers settled on securing a few of the larger rooms to allow the scientists access to the main chambers. Several other passages had caved in some time ago and others looked like they might at any moment. Those were strictly off limits until safety rigs could be established.

These two geologists had insisted on continuing a little further from the secured perimeter, meaning someone had to stay and guard them; Ronon was that lucky volunteer. Though it seemed no one had visited the mines in many years, the Atlanteans always erred on the side of caution, meaning no scientist without military escort. He had thought exploring the caves might prove to be more interesting than staying at the entrance – how wrong he had been. He let out a long sigh as he continued to wait.

oOo oOo oOo

"Now that is just fascinating!" The excited voice broke Teyla out of her light meditation. Stretching, she moved to where Zelenka, Kreola, and a few others were working. Zelenka and Kreola were typing away at a now cleaned console, reading over the data being displayed on the screen before them.

"What is it?" Teyla asked.

"These machines were used to analyze the variety of rocks and minerals discovered in this solar system," Zelenka explained. "The data we have been able to recover so far has extensive list of every element known in this galaxy. It also has similar isotopes and other characteristics to which elements may prove to be of use."

"That is… good," Teyla said, though her voice gave away her confusion. Kreola chuckled softly.

"This will help us find out which materials should be used in various projects," she clarified. "Remember the experiment about increasing the power output of the naquadah generators? So far it has been trail and error. This will let us narrow down the list considerably without running the risk of testing each individual element ourselves."

"I see." She did. It had only been several months since Miryana had tried to use an unstable element to overload the generators and take out the city, so she knew of the danger involved. "Is there any mention of the nearby science facility?"

"Not that we have encountered so far," Zelenka answered. "There is still much data to process, so it will take some time."

"I will inform Colonel Sheppard of our progress," Teyla stated. She headed outside, relieved to feel the warm sun against her face. She had been inside caves and caverns many times before, but this one was different. Despite the unused look, it felt as if someone was watching them. She shook her head, scolding herself before tapping on the radio.

"Colonel Sheppard," she softly called before waiting.

_"Go ahead Teyla,"_ came the answer moments later. _"How's the mining facility?"_

"Much larger than we anticipated, perhaps spanning for several miles." She described what they had found so far. "Doctor Zelenka believes it will take several days to fully copy and process all the information of the surviving consoles."

_"Well, let him know his wish has been granted. Apparently we can't enter the ruins without a priest, and he needs an entire day to prepare in order to appease the wandering spirits."_ She heard a snort – Rodney must be listening in_. "Zelenka and the others can take their time in the mines. We'll be reporting back to Elizabeth now and will meet up with you afterwards."_

"I will let them know." She clicked off the radio and began to make her way back when she felt a sharp pain on her arm. She looked down to find a small red insect biting into her skin. A quick swat and it was dead and on the ground, but not before it had left two small marks on her arm. Thinking nothing else of the encounter, she continued back to the cave.


	3. Chapter 3

The Velian assigned to guide them into the ruins looked like more like a jester than a priest, wearing a cloak that ended in small golden bells, large puffed-up shoes, and holding a very strange looking scepter in one hand. Sheppard guessed the end was supposed to resemble a crescent moon, but the artisan was not very skillful, and it looked more like a lumpy banana.

Ignoring the snort of laughter from McKay, the priest introduced himself as Betar, the second son Hetar, who was the third son of Metar, who was the first son Retar, who was the … at which point Sheppard had broken in to introduce the members of his team. The priest bowed to each in acknowledgment before providing one simple rule: no wandering off the path he created, no exceptions. With that he turned and guided them into the ruins.

The priest led, followed closely by Sheppard. McKay, busy examining his multiple scanners, was in the middle while Teyla and Ronon brought up the rear, keeping a watchful eye both on their companions and the quiet rubble. Several times McKay would have the group stop as he examined some of the fallen debris, trying to find crystals or panels that might still function. A few times he encountered Ancient text, but it simply gave the name of the building - dormitory or mess hall – nothing worth examining further. He was, however, growing more interested in the odd power readings that seemed to fluctuate from the center area of the ruins, and was impatient with zigzagging trail they had been forced to walk so far.

Betar paused, raising the scepter in the air with one hand, slowly moving it back and forth. His other hand reached out and moved against an invisible wall – much too mime-like for Sheppard's comfort. He never did like mimes. "We can go no further this way," the priest stated, his voice distant. "The spirits do not wish us to pass."

"Oh for crying out loud there are no…"

"McKay!"

The scientist glared at Sheppard, pointing to the priest and indicating that the man was crazy. Although the Colonel didn't know if the Velian people understood the 'he's crazy' gesture, he was glad the priest's back was to them. He 'politely' indicated to McKay to be nice and shut up, which earned him yet another gesture from the scientist, at which point he gestured back with another not-so-polite message. Teyla and Ronon simply looked at each other and shook their heads, having grown used to seeing and ignoring the strange gestures of their teammates.

The priest, oblivious to the exchange going on behind him, turned and pointed in another direction. "We have permission to follow this path," he stated before starting to walk in the indicated direction. With a roll of his eyes McKay pointedly ignored Sheppard's latest gesture and followed afterwards, grumbling as the current trail led them away from the central area.

Several minutes later, as they waited for McKay at another fallen column, Teyla moved toward Sheppard, a look of unease on her face. "Teyla, what is it?"

"I am unsure," she stated, "but I feel something is not right with this place. I sense we are being watched." Taking out his LSD Sheppard looked at the screen, seeing the six dots of their group and no others.

"Nothing on the scanner." He took another look at her, concerned with the way she had been rubbing at her arm lately. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked, indicating her arm.

"I am fine," she answered. "It is simply an insect bite."

"Maybe you should have Carson look at that when we get back."

"I said I am fine," she repeated a little more forcefully. "I have had many such bites as this before, the effects will pass in a few days." She paused, looking around the quiet ruins. When she spoke again her voice was softer. "Does this place not seem unusual, as if something is out of place?"

Sheppard looked around with a slight frown. The ruins were anywhere from one to thirty feet high. Most of the structures were simply rubble, while those near the central area appeared mainly intact, almost like a discard shell of what used to be. With all the zigzagging he hadn't really noticed before, but looking now it was clear that their priest was purposely avoiding those central buildings.

"You may be right," he eventually answered. "I think we better keep a closer eyes on our friend here. I'm starting to believe there's more to this 'asking of the spirits' than he's letting on."

"Colonel!" The two turned at McKay's call, recognizing the tone – he had found something of interest. As they moved toward him, Sheppard gave a knowing look to Ronon, who simply nodded before taking a position closer to the waiting priest. While Teyla remained standing guard over them, Sheppard knelt down next to McKay. The scientist had managed to find and open an access panel on a mostly undamaged column, and was currently running a check on a crystal via his laptop.

"What'd you find?" he asked in a normal tone before adding quietly, "_Keep it generic. I don't think our priest friend is being honest with us." _Puzzled blue eyes met his for a moment, as if processing the information and what it might mean. Those eyes darted to the priest for a moment before returning to the soldier's.

"I found an intact crystal," he stated loudly, gesturing to the single lit crystal. "It appears to be working."

"What else did you find?" Sheppard asked, before hissing out, _"I said keep it generic, not stupid!"_

_"Well excuse me,"_ McKay hissed back. _"I was never good at lying."_ Then louder, "I'm still working on extracting the data, but I believe it was used as a backup of sorts." Switching back to whispering he clarified, _"It is definitely from the outpost. From what I've managed to get so far it contains the blueprints for the facility."_

"How long will that take?" Then quieter, _"What good does that do us? In case you haven't noticed there's not much left of this place."_

"I don't know, twenty minutes?" At Sheppard's not-quiet-happy look he added, "Uh, thirty?" Ignoring the exasperated look on the soldier's face he hissed out, _"I told you I was a terrible liar."_

_"Rodney…"_

_"I'm just saying…"_

_"Just tell me what the damn thing says."_

_"The outpost used to be protected by a shield. I don't think it was as powerful as anything on Atlantis, but it was strong enough to repel most attacks. The central part of these ruins not only housed the shield, but the main experimental labs as well. If anything of interest is here, it'll be in those central structures."_

_"The ones our guide is avidly avoiding. Is there anything in there that says what the facility was used for?"_

_"Not that I've found yet, but there is still_ … AH!" McKay stumbled backwards, clutching his hand close to him, eyes filled in shock as he gaped at Ula – she bit him! Beforehe could say anything she darted toward the priest, who was staring in their direction. His mouth opened again but Sheppard quickly cut him off.

"Darn thing isn't fully trained yet," the soldier explained as he stood. "Gets a little nippy at times." He offered a grin to the priest, who looked from him, to McKay, to the creature who sat calmly by Ronon's feet. Betar's expression was one of disdain before he raised his scepter and pointed.

"We must be off, the spirits wish us not to linger any longer."

"But I still haven't…"

"Now," Betar ordered in a voice that clearly indicated there was no point in arguing.

"Rodney, you heard Betar, pack it up. Who knows which spirits may still be roaming around? We don't want to upset them now, do we?" The scientist looked at him opened mouthed before he snapped it shut and began to pack away his tools. Soon they were once again walking through the ruins, McKay grumbling the whole time, Ula calmly walking by his side as if nothing unusual had happened. While Teyla shifted to the lead position near the priest, Sheppard moved back toward Ronon.

"How long was he listening?" the solider asked quietly.

"Few seconds at most," Ronon answered. "About to warn you but Ula did it first."

"Yeah, figured there was a reason behind that. Quite the observant thing isn't she." His eyes shifted to the creature at McKay's side then toward the priest, who had paused to do his scepter-waving thing again. "He knows something he doesn't want us to know. Hopefully he believed our little ploy back there."

"So what was it?"

"A map of the facility. Rodney believes it used to have its own shield, based in the central structures."

The Satedan glanced in the direction of the tall structures they were heading away from yet again. "Doesn't seem to want us to go there."

"I noticed. Question is, why?"

"Might not be just spirits roaming around."

"You mean there might be Velians in the structures? But they would've shown up on the LSD … unless there's still a working shield." Sheppard's eyes once again roamed around the ruins. The structures were tallest in the center and slowly became more and more deteriorated as they moved outward, almost as if the shield had begun to collapse in upon itself. And if the shield was still functioning, chances were there was a lot more to those structures than a few control panels. Just what we need, he thought, more Genii wannabes. What is it with this galaxy and secret labs anyway?

"I say we go look," Ronon stated, a hand moving toward his blaster. "Not like he can stop us."

"No, we play along. We don't want to tip our hand just yet. Let them think we found nothing of importance. We can take a jumper back later to check it out when their guard is down."

Though he saw the logic, Ronon wasn't happy about waiting or playing stupid, and he was somewhat disappointed when the trip back to the village was uneventful. Betar quickly excused himself and returned to the temple to complete what he called 'very important communing with the Ancestral spirits', which earned another snort from McKay. Sheppard was surprised that Magistrate Kizel was not there to greet him, having sent Suya his place. After informing her of their inconclusive findings, the four started back toward the gate.

Just outside the main town were flat farmlands. Beyond the fields a thick forest circled around the area in a rough C shape. A wildfire had all but destroyed the forests east of the town, leaving a few small trees scattered about. It made traveling to the gate quicker and easier, as well as making it all but impossible to be taken by surprise. Still, Ronon kept looking around, not willing to let his guard down until they were back in Atlantis.

"I can't believe we're just going to walk away," McKay eventually voiced his complaint. "It is definitely worth going back and getting a closer look at those buildings."

"That's the plan," Sheppard casually stated.

"And that whole thing about ghosts and spirits is …" McKay paused, turning to look at him. "Wait, what'd you say?" The other three stopped as well.

"I said that's the plan," the Colonel answered, grinning at the startled expression on his friend's face. "What Rodney, you think we didn't notice how Betar was leading us anywhere but to the central ruins? Once it's dark we'll take a jumper back and get a closer look."

"Still think we should go now," Ronon said. "Give them less time to hide whatever they're hiding."

"If the Velians found out we entered their sacred grounds against their wishes, not only would we never be welcome again," Teyla pointed out, "but those in the mines would be forced to leave as well."

"And to top it all off," Sheppard added, "Elizabeth would have our hides. No, we wait for now and come back at dark. It'll give you time to go over whatever data you managed to copy."

"Which unfortunately wasn't much, thanks to the voodoo man."

"But you said you found blueprints, right?"  
"Yeah, so?"

"So this way we'll have an idea of where to look and save us from just wandering around."

"Oh. Yeah, didn't think about it that way." The Colonel did have a point. McKay shifted his heavy pack, taking out a PDA with his free hand. "Okay, the sooner we get back to Atlantis the sooner I can start. Enough resting, let's go," he stated as he started on, fiddling away with the device.

The other three looked at each other with knowing smiles as they followed. It didn't take much to get McKay's mind on something else. A few minutes later Sheppard's smile faded as he looked around the forest with concerned eyes.

"You feel it too?" Ronon asked.

"That we're not alone? Yeah. Stay close to Rodney." Ronon nodded and Sheppard moved to the front where Teyla had taken the lead. She acknowledged his presence with a brief nod before turning her full attention back to the surrounding area.

"Still not feeling well?" he asked, noticing a slight sheen on her face.

"I am fine," she assured him. "It is just a minor headache. However, I still feel something is not right with this place. I sense we are being watched, and yet I have seen no one since we left the town. I …" She stopped suddenly as a loud piercing filled the sky, a sound they knew all too well – a Wraith Dart. But why had she not felt its presence earlier, and why could she still not sense it?

Sheppard swore at their perpetual bad luck. "We won't stand a chance here, we need better cover." They were close to the clearing – just beyond that was a thicker forest, and beyond that the rocky plains before the gate. Without another word the team took off. Sheppard and Teyla reached the clearing first, quickly running across and taking up positions underneath the protection of the larger trees. They turned and fired, watching in fear as the Dart's culling beam headed toward the remaining teammates. The fear turned to relief as Ronon knocked McKay out of the way of the beam before pulling him back underneath the cover of one of the smaller trees.

"Ronon, Rodney, you okay?" Sheppard yelled across the field. The Dart was still attempting to cull them, though thankfully it had chosen the wrong area to try.

"Of course we're not fine!" McKay's high-pitched panic-filled voice returned. "In case you haven't noticed there's a Wraith Dart in the air trying to…"

"We're good," Ronon broke in.

"When the Dart goes out to take another pass, run." Hearing Ronon's affirmative, Sheppard turned his attention back to the Dart. The beam shut off as it picked up speed, circling out of the clearing in order to make another fly by. As soon as it cleared the field he saw Ronon and McKay start across. The Dart then made an impossibly tight upward loop that even expert pilots would have a hard time executing, bringing it bearing down on his teammates who weren't even halfway across yet "Damn it! Teyla!" He didn't need to say anymore as they both stepped out from beneath the cover of the tree, firing their weapons at the ship.

The Dart paid them no heed, keeping a steady course for the two still running across the field, even after its wing was severely damaged when Ronon paused to attack. He and Teyla kept firing in an effort to draw the Dart's attention, but it was futile. One moment Ronon and McKay were there and the next they were gone, swept up by the bright light of the culling beam.

"No!" Sheppard yelled out, an icy feeling of fear filling him as he experienced déjà vu. As the Dart angled outwards toward the gate he activated his radio. "Sgt. Michaels, there's a Dart headed your way. It has Ronon and McKay but whatever happens, do not let it escape!" Then they were running again.

The forest passed in a blur. They ignored the stray branches and bushes that scraped against them in their desperation to help their friends. The Dart had vanished from view. How long would it take to reach the gate? Was it there already? Several minutes later and they were running over the rocky plains that surrounded the gate, still not seeing any sign of the ship. Had they beat it to the gate? Impossible. But then where was it?

"Colonel Sheppard!" Michaels called out as he saw them approaching, Everett and Barnett at his side. "No sign yet. We've radioed Atlantis, they'll be sending a …" His words were cut off as the gate began to activate behind him. Everyone moved, Barnett and Everett taking a position facing the gate, the rest aiming up to the sky, searching. Their radios crackled to life.

_"Sgt. Michaels this is Atlantis. We have two jumpers ready to launch."_

"Launch them," Sheppard radioed. "And keep the wormhole established. The Dart hasn't appeared yet, let's not give it an easy out."

_"Copy that."_ Moments later the wormhole shimmered as the jumpers emerged. The first was the scout jumper recovered from Batigin, which immediately began to fly up before cloaking as the second landed nearby.

"Michaels, your team stays here. Don't let anything through the gate. We'll search from the air."

"Yes sir."

Sheppard and Teyla ran to the waiting jumper. Hutchins waited in the back while Mason remained near the controls.

"Sir," Mason acknowledged as he moved aside, allowing Sheppard to slide into the pilot's seat.

"Who's in the other jumper?" the Colonel asked as he started up the jumper, not even waiting for the rear hatch to fully close before lifting up.

"Kreola's piloting it. Major Lorne is with her."

"_Colonel Sheppard?"_ Kreola's voice asked through the radio. _"Initial checks show there is no Wraith ship in the immediate area."_

"What about the expanded sensors?" The sensor range of the scout-type jumper had nearly double the range of a regular jumper.

"_Also negative."_

"That can't be right, it has to be nearby." He pulled up the sensors, looking at the screen in disbelief. Nothing. Although the Dart had had a good fifteen-minute lead on them, there was no way it could've cleared the range of their sensors. And Darts didn't have hyperdrive technology. Could it have returned to a Hive ship before they arrived?

"_What now?"_ Kreloa asked.

"Keep looking, maybe it landed nearby," he answered, unwilling to make that conclusion just yet. It just seemed too unlikely that the Wraith would expend so much effort for one single culling. His instinct told him it was someone else, and he had a strong feeling on who that might be. "The rest of us are going to pay the Velians another visit."


	4. Chapter 4

"Colonel Sheppard, Teyla Emmagan." The young aide Suya rose from her chair behind the desk. "I did not expect you to return so soon. Is there a problem?"

"You tell us," Sheppard stated, his hands folded over his weapon, intention clear. The young girl's eyes widened as she took an involuntary step back. Teyla placed a hand on Sheppard's shoulder in a calming gesture.

"Suya," she started, voice soft and composed, "We need to speak with the Magistrate. It is an urgent matter."

"I am sorry Teyla, but he is still out. He did not tell me where he was going, only that he would not be back until the morning. I do not understand, what has happened?"

"A Wraith Dart attacked us."

Suya gasped, her hands going to her mouth. "Wraith! I need to warn the village!"

"No need, it is already gone," Teyla answered, and Suya visually relaxed. "However, it took our friends with it."

"I am sorry," the girl stated with sincerity. "The Wraith come as they please and take as they want. No one is safe."

"How often do the Wraith come?" Sheppard asked.

"There is no pattern, Colonel Sheppard. During the last harvest season the Wraith came for several days. Then they suddenly stopped. We have been blessed with peace for nearly a year now."

"Until today," he stated bitterly. The girl lowered her gaze. It was clear the young aide was not included it whatever the scheme the Velians were planning. However, that only made his suspicions about the Magistrate even stronger.

"Again I am sorry, Colonel. Everyone has lost family to the Wraith, even the Magistrate. If you like, I will ask the priests to perform the Ceremony for the Taken for you."

"No need," he harshly replied, "because I plan to get them back. Let's go Teyla." As he stormed out of the room Teyla offered an apologetic smile to Suya.

"Colonel Sheppard is very upset," she explained. "He does not mean to offend. We are honored at your offer for the ceremony, but we must decline at this time." Suya nodded slowly, not quiet understanding, as Teyla turned and hurried off after the soldier. When she neared she grabbed his arm, causing him to stop and turn around.

"What?" he asked roughly.

"I know you are upset," she hissed, "but that is no excuse to be hostile to those who are trying to help."

"What are you talking about?"

"Suya's offering of the Ceremony for the Taken is not to be taken lightly. The ceremony was designed to help those who have lost loved ones deal with their grief. Offering it to you, an outsider, shows her respect for you and sorrow at your loss."

"I didn't know," Sheppard quietly said. He had never heard of the ceremony, or at least he didn't remember Teyla ever explaining it to him. Of course, now that the Athosians lived safely on the mainland there had been no need for the ceremony.

"There are still many things you do not know about our galaxy," she replied, releasing his arm. "Trust me, John. If the Velians are behind our missing friends, we will confront them. But to allow anger to guide our actions now may jeopardize the entire treaty. And do not forget the scientists that are still within the mines."

In all the confusion and worrying he had forgotten. Zelenka had been excited about what they had discovered so far, obtaining additional personnel to help search the databases. He didn't understand much about rocks, but he did understand the prospect of more knowledge.

"Let us confer with Kreola and Major Lorne," Teyla advised. "Perhaps they have found something. If not, I believe it would be wise to continue on with our original plan. We must not act harshly."

"Innocent until proven guilty," Sheppard muttered as he began walking again. "Guess that holds true even in another galaxy." He knew there really wasn't a choice in the matter. Teyla was right, they had to wait, for now.

oOo oOo oOo

He ached all over from a feeling he knew too well – the aftershock of a Wraith stunner. That meant the Dart had culled him, which in turn meant he was a captive of the Wraith, which meant one thing: he was so screwed.

McKay was tempted to simply lie still and pretend it was all a bad dream. Instead he forced himself to sit up, blinking painfully as his head spun. It took him a moment to realize he wasn't in a Wraith cell. In fact, it wasn't really much of a cell at all, more like a cheap hotel room. There was the uncomfortable bed he was currently sitting on, a chair and writing table like his grandfather used to have, and a dim lamp. There were two doors, one partially open and leading to what he assumed was a washroom, and the other tightly sealed which probably led outside. There were no windows, and all his equipment was missing, so there was no way of knowing how long he had been unconscious, or even where he was. Which all led back to the same thought: he was so screwed.

He carefully slid off the bed, waiting a moment for the dizziness to pass. A check on the larger door confirmed it was locked, and a few tugs and hits against it left him with a sore hand and full knowledge he wasn't breaking it down anytime soon. Ronon might've broken through, but not him. No, he was more of a fixer of broken things than a breaker of things. But speaking of Ronon …

McKay looked around the room, confirming that he was indeed alone. No Ronon or Ula, no Sheppard or Teyla. He made a circuit around the room looking for anything that might help him escape, but besides the few pieces of furniture and the small washroom there was nothing. Back at the main door again he scoured around for any sort of access panel or lock, but the only way it was opening was from the other side. Frustrated, annoyed, and more than a little paranoid, he began to pace.

Okay, think, he told himself. What do you know? You're locked inside a small room by yourself … a room that is getting smaller? No, it's your imagination. Same size, eight paces each direction. Was it too much to ask for a window? Concentrate! Okay. Walking through the so-called forest and a Wraith Dart appears out of nowhere, with no warning from Teyla. Why? She did seem a little odd, and he thought he heard Sheppard ask if she was okay. So, maybe she's sick and couldn't sense the Wraith, or … or it wasn't a Wraith in the Dart. The uneasy feeling grew – whoever it was had a high enough technological level to modify and fly Wraith technology. Oh that is so, so not good. Focus! What else do you remember? He paused, his thoughts turning back to the moment.

_His heart raced as he clutched his 9mm, wishing he taken the P-90 as well. Since they had already made contact with the locals, he figured the bulky weapon would just be in the way of his equipment while they explored the nearby ruins. Now he felt useless, knowing the weapon would do little against the Wraith ship. A quick glance to his side showed Ula was feeling the same. The little Ulata Sitera was a powerful fighter in close combat, but she was helpless when it came to distance attacks. His gaze returned to the sky as the Dart passed over and began another turn._

"_Move it McKay!" Ronon yelled, roughly yanking him to his feet. "We have to get to the other side, now move!" With a hard shove from behind he was running, Ula and Ronon on either side, matching his slower pace automatically. They were only about a third of the way across when the Dart executed a seemingly impossible move, twisting into a tight upwards circle that had it returning back to the clearing almost immediately. "Damn it!" he had heard Sheppard shout before the sounds of their weapons filled the air._

_"McKay, run!" Ronon's command rose above the noise. Annoyed at the obviousness of the statement he began to reply when he saw the Dart heading right toward him. Snapping his mouth shut he willed his legs to move faster. He was almost across the field when he felt Ronon grab onto his vest and then … nothing._

McKay began to pace back and forth again. So that meant he, Ronon, and Ula had been culled at the same time. He didn't know about Sheppard or Teyla though. The Dart hadn't seemed that interested in them, but then again, he was concentrating on running more than anything else. So, trying to be optimistic, he told himself they had escaped and were now mounting a rescue mission to get him out of here … wherever here was. And the first step of a rescue was to ensure all the rescuees were together, that no one left behind rule Sheppard loved so much. So, first he had to find Ronon and Ula, and then they could escape. Simple. Yeah, right. Screwed.

With a loud sigh of aggravation he returned to the main door, nearly jumping when it suddenly swung open. Two guards entered and flanked the doorway. Though the weapons were unfamiliar he recognized the uniforms as those worn by the Magistrate's personal guards earlier that day.

"What's going on? Where are the others of my team?"

"Come with us."

"No," he defiantly stated, crossing his arms. "I demand to see my team first."

"Now, doctor." One of the guards raised his weapon, his threat clear. With a slight gulp and a decision that maybe defiance wasn't the best idea at the moment, McKay followed the man out. The hallway reminded him of Stargate Command, cold and metallic, lacking the sense of beauty that Atlantis had. They passed several other closed doors before the hallway opened up, literally. McKay couldn't help but pause as his eyes gazed upwards at the domed room. It was several stories high and looked as if each corridor and doorway on every level led to this area, like a general meeting area.

A nudge from behind got McKay moving again, through the domed room and down a larger and better-lit section, finally stopping outside of a large archway. Glass-like doors blocked their way, until one of the guards pressed a series of buttons on the right side. The glass dissolved and they entered into the main audience chamber. The ceiling opened up to what looked like the sky, though artificially created. A circular table sat in the middle of the room, around which were several chairs. Seated at one of the chairs was none other than Magistrate Kizel.

"Ah Doctor McKay. I am sorry for the rough treatment." He waved off the two guards, who backed away out of the room, most likely staying just outside the doorway. No going that way.

"I'm sure you are," he replied angrily. "What is going on here?"

"Please, have a seat," the Magistrate indicated one of the chairs. "Do you require food or drink? I can have one of my aides bring some. I understand the culling beams make one quite thirsty."

"What? Where am I? And where are my teammates?"  
"So many questions! Sit, sit." When McKay failed to move the Magistrate's eyes narrowed slightly, his tone taking a less jovial one. "I must insist, Doctor, that you sit. I would rather not have to call my guards back in so soon." Reluctantly McKay moved forward and sat, trying to put as much distance between him and the man as possible. "Ah, much better," Kizel smiled again.

"Fine, I'm sitting, happy? Now what the hell is going on?"

"To the point, I see. Very well." Kizel leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. "You are an expert in both the Ancestors' technology and their language. We need you to translate the Ancestral text for us as well as identity the items we currently have in our possession."

"Wait, you mean you went through all this simply so I could take an inventory of your Ancient devices?"

"If you want to put it that way, then yes."

"You're out of your mind. What do I look like, a secretary? Get your own scientists to do it."

"If it were that simple, Doctor McKay. You see, even among all our trading partners, finding one who knows as much as you do about the Ancestors is a rarity. You are, shall we say, unique to our needs."

"So you kidnap me using a Dart in order to what, make the others think the Wraith culled me? They're not going to fall for it. And just how did you manage to get a hold of a working Dart, let alone learn how to fly it?"

Kizel simply smiled deeper before leaning back and calling out, "Deidre!" Part of a nearby wall shimmered before disappearing. A woman entered through the opening, her stride proud as her long legs carried her directly to the Magistrate's side. McKay's mouth dropped for a moment – she could be Sheppard's sister. Her darker hair wasn't as short as his but carried the same crazy spiked-up look, her hazel eyes looking on with neutrality. She wore what looked like battle fatigues, a utility belt around her waist and a small weapon strapped on her upper right leg.

"Deidre is the pilot of the modified Dart," Kizel stated. "Deidre, our guest here would like to know how we acquired such a ship." McKay recovered from his composure, crossing his arms in front of him.

"You're telling me she flew the Dart?"

"For your information," Deidre started with a hint of annoyance, "I can fly anything." Yeah, definitely Sheppard's long-lost sister. "As for how we came about it, we bought it from a dark-skinned man several weeks ago. He claimed he stole it from a Wraith Hive Ship, as if that was possible. Personally I believe he came about it by chance. Yet either way, it does not matter, it belongs to us now."

McKay tried to hide his shock. If what she said was true, that meant Ford had managed to escape from the Hive Ship, and there was still a chance they could bring him home. Sheppard would be glad to hear it. His thoughts then quickly turned back to the situation at hand. The Velians had a working Dart in their possession, and knew enough on how to use the culling beam effectively. How much else did they know? If he could get a close look at the ship, he might be able to disable the culling beam and weapons.

He still didn't understand why they gone through all the effort to make it look like he was taken by the Wraith. Why not simply ask for his help? Unless they thought what they were asking for was too much. Too often had they encountered people who were willing to give up their own simply to advance their technology – the Hoffans basically sacrificed half of their entire population to protect themselves from the Wraith. What did the Velians have that was so important that they'd stoop to such drastic means of getting him to work on it?

"Why should I bother helping you? You seem to know enough about technology. Why do you need me?"

"As I have said before, our scientists have spent years working on the technology left behind by the Ancestors with little success. Yet you can do it in just a matter of minutes. We are in desperate need of your abilities. We have the equipment, we just cannot get it to function."

"That's it? Why not just ask instead of demanding?"  
"We could not risk losing the equipment to your people."

"We're not thieves."

"We have been told the same by others, only to have them take all we had and leave us at the mercy of the Wraith. Never again will we be so foolish. Doctor McKay, we need your help."

"Well sorry to disappoint you, but the answer is no."

"I feared you might say so. Please, come with me." The Magistrate stood and moved to the secondary exit. McKay didn't budge.

"You better do as he says, Doctor," Deidre stated, fingering her weapon. "I would rather not have to hurt you."

They're all crazy! McKay thought, quickly standing and following after the Magistrate. What is it with people and their desire to cause bodily harm?

Entering through the doorway revealed a small control room, almost like a mini-version of the gateroom back on Atlantis, minus the gate. Where the gate should have been was the damaged Dart, obviously out of commission, with open panels and tools still scattered about. Overlooking the platform were a few consoles and nearly a dozen monitors, each with a different image: the mines, the forest, the meeting room he and Sheppard had used. It was like an elaborate security system. A cold feeling filled McKay – they had been watched from the very beginning. The Velians must have known of their suspicions and. This was not good.

"As you can see, we have been observing you and your friends," Kizel told him. "Up until now, we have done nothing but watch. However, due to your stubbornness, that may have to change." The Magistrate indicated one of images of the mines, which showed two scientists working at a console. "It is your choice, Doctor." With that he pressed a button. McKay watched in horror as the room began to shake as if from a tremor. The scientists looked up in shock only to have several large rocks fall upon them.

"Stop!" McKay cried out, trying to move to the console only to have Deidre grab him, pulling his arms back. "Stop it!" The Magistrate waited several seconds, allowing a few more rocks to fall, before pressing the button again and stopping the tremors. McKay's eyes were glued to the screen as several soldiers entered the room and attempted to dig the two scientists out. The Magistrate gave a soft chuckle, amused at his captive's reaction, before changing the image back to the main entrance, which had several scientists and soldiers walking about.

"Do I need to persuade you anymore, Doctor?" he asked.

"You're insane!"

"Insane or not, choose now, Doctor." McKay knew Kizel could and probably would collapse the entire mine unless he agreed to the terms.

"What choice do I have?"

"Very good, Doctor." Kizel smiled, clasping his hands before him in eagerness and anticipation. "I shall have a proper room made for you immediately. I am sure with your help we can find a way to protect ourselves from the Wraith."

"Fine, I'll do what you want," McKay said in defeat. "But I'll need help, from my assistant."

"Your assistant?" the Magistrate asked in surprise. "Wait, you cannot possibly mean that big brute we acquired with you, do you?"

"Who else would I be referring to?" McKay answered sarcastically. "Santa Claus? Of course him, and my pet as well. We're used to working as a team, and without them it'll take much longer to calibrate all the systems."

"Santey Claws?" Deidre quietly muttered as the Magistrate stated, "Very well, I shall have them brought to your room."

"Good. I also need the packs and equipment I was carrying."

"Right away. Minus your weapons, of course."

"Of course." Even without weapons they'd have a much better chance if they remained together. Hopefully with his tools and equipment McKay would be able to hack into the computer systems and break them out himself. Perhaps if things worked out really well, they'd be home in time for dinner. Until then he'd have to make sure the Velians thought he couldn't work efficiently without Ronon or Ula. He'd just have to have Ronon act like a scientist, how hard could that be?


	5. Chapter 5

The jumper quietly set down on the outskirts of the ruins. An initial scan displayed no other life signs in the area. Although night, the moon was nearly full, allowing enough light to see by without having to use artificial means. Sheppard and Teyla exited the jumper, along with Lorne and Hutchins. Kreola and Mason were to remain behind in the jumper to monitor for life signs and any power signatures.

The group quietly made their way through the ruins with Teyla in the lead, Lorne and Hutchins center, and Sheppard guarding their six. Reaching the central area without incident they split up, Teyla and Hutchins moving one direction, Sheppard and Lorne the other.

Although the structures showed signs of age, the outer shells were more or less intact. Teyla entered one building and flipped on the light from her weapon, scanning around the room. A thick layer of grim covered the floor and scattered pieces of tables and chairs. Hutchins moved to something that resembled a small chair and nudged it with his foot, only to have it crumble apart. He spared a look to Teyla, whose quiet nod echoed his thoughts – this room had not been touched in possibly thousands of years. With a final look around they headed outside.

They slowly proceeded from building to building, finding most in the same condition as the first one. Several rooms were completely empty save for a deep layer of filth. Finally one room caused them to pause. A small glass pedestal was in the center, shining in the moonlight, while the rest of the room lacked the layer of grim that had been in every other room so far. They entered cautiously, their light beams illuminating the walls.

"Now this is impressive," Hutchins said with awe.

Teyla didn't reply, taken away by the beauty of the mosaic. The walls were stained glass, composed of thousands of pieces, displaying an image that looked a lot like the city of Atlantis. The ceiling resembled a nighttime sky, complete with moon and known constellations. She moved slowly to the central pedestal and peered inside to see a small red crystalline ball. There was no apparent way of opening the case, and unlike certain teammates, she wasn't about to touch it without knowing more.

"Colonel Sheppard," she quietly called over the radio. "We have found something you should see."

_"What is your position?"_ he asked.

_"You need to head fifty feet north and then proceed west for three hundred more,"_ Kreola informed. _"I have also noticed an increase in power in the room you are in, Teyla."_

"This room is still intact," she replied, eyes once again looking around the room. "I believe it may still be shielded somehow."

_"Do you see any console or power conduit where the energy may be coming from?"_

"No. The walls are made of colored glass. The only object in the room is a small pedestal with a red ball inside. There does not appear to be any way to open the case." Teyla paused as she heard footsteps and both she and Hutchins took up positions at the sides of the room, lights off. Moments later Sheppard and Lorne entered.

"Colonel Sheppard," Teyla greeted, moving outwards.

"Teyla," the solider replied, unable to see anything in the darkened room. He turned on his light. "Woah."

"Yeah," Lorne echoed, his own light playing across the room. Even with just their simple lights the walls were a dazzling display of colors. He could only imagine how it might look with the sunlight hitting it.

"This is it?" Sheppard asked Teyla, indicating the pedestal. She nodded, watching as he moved toward it, circling around.

"Did you find anything in your search?" she asked as he studied it.

"Nothing. Every room was either decayed or decaying. There are still a few we didn't get to yet, so we may still find something else."

"It is the same with us. Colonel, I do not think you should…" Teyla stopped, wincing slightly as Sheppard reached out and touched the top of the pedestal. She mentally braced herself, but nothing happened. After several long moments he removed his hand.

"That's odd. It's warm to the touch. You'd think that---"

_"Colonel Sheppard! Multiple life signs have appeared just north of your location!"_ Panic laced Kreola's voice as she continued, _"Energy signatures are also increasing at a rapid pace."_

"Time to leave," Sheppard needlessly informed those in the room. The four quickly headed out, making their way south back toward the jumper. They kept low to the ground, their dark clothes helping them to hide in the shadows. They could hear voices in the distance but not what was being said.

_"Life signs remain steady at the room you were in,"_ Kreola stated. _"Power levels are still high, but no longer increasing. Now that is strange…"_

"Now what?" Sheppard asked as his group neared the outer edge of the ruins.

_"Several of the life signs have disappeared at the same time the sensors detected a spike in power. It looks like the power is decreasing in proportion to the amount of life signs that vanish. And … they are all gone now. Power is back to minimal levels."_ The puzzlement was obvious in her voice.

"So in other words, something we need to check out again." They exited the ruins and headed to where they had left the jumper. Sheppard spotted Mason appear and nod to them as they headed up the still invisible ramp. Moving to the front Sheppard took the pilot's seat while Kreola remained in the co-pilot's chair.

"I do not understand where all the life signs came from," she told him as he launched the ship. "How could they know you were there?"

"Colonel Sheppard touched the device," Teyla stated with disapproval. "Your warning happened moments later."

"Kinda sounds like a motion sensor," Lorne commented.

"Only it didn't activate when Teyla and I entered the room," Hutchins clarified.

"But the power increased while you where in the room," Kreola pointed out. "There may be a sensor that detects a presence in the room, but does not activate until the device is touched. I wish I could have seen it."

"You'll get your chance tomorrow," Sheppard told her. "Now that we know where to look, and what not to do, we'll send a science team in. We know the Velians are hiding something. I'm not sure what that is, but I intend to find out."

oOo oOo oOo

Ronon paced in the room, frustrated and seething with anger, while Ula sat calmly on the bed, watching. It was obvious the Dart had been a ploy – whoever had taken them was definitely not Wraith. He didn't know who they were or what their objective was, only that they'd soon regret messing with him. Despite his anger he was also concerned about what had happened to McKay. The Dart ship had definitely aimed for the scientist, and he clearly remembered having a hold on the man when the culling beam had hit him. That meant McKay was here somewhere, wherever here was.

Hearing a noise at the door he paused, considering his options. Though his blaster and weapons had been taken away, his captors had missed two of his hidden knives. He could attack whoever entered or he could choose to wait. He would lose the element of surprise, but perhaps he could learn of McKay's whereabouts. A quick glance at the bed showed Ula had remained sitting, though he recognized the alertness in her eyes. Following her example, he crossed his arms and waited.

Two guards came into the room, wearing what he recognized as the Velian uniform. Each trained their weapon on him, cold eyes watching him carefully. A third person then entered, dressed in a dark gray coat and carrying no obvious weapon, though he seemed to be of high importance. Dark brown eyes peered out from behind thin wire glasses, and his thick black hair contrasted sharply with his pale skin, as if he had not seen the sun for a long time. The man regarded him for a moment with a look of distaste, then the creature on the bed, then back to him.

"Specialist Dex and the pet, you shall come with me."

"Don't think so. Who are you and where is McKay?" Anger flashed on the man's face.

"I am Giothan, head scientist of Ancestral Research," he answered, raising his head slightly. "And you best to remember it. As for Doctor McKay, this was his idea not mine, so you will either come willingly or we will be forced to employ more drastic measures. Your choice."

Ronon met the eyes of the Velian scientist, who eventually turned away from the intensity of the glare. With a quick glance to Ula, who still remained passive, Ronon uncrossed his arms.

"Fine."

"Good choice," Giothan stated, though he was secretly disappointed. He would've enjoyed testing out his newest 'toy' on the brute. "Now secure the pet and follow me."

"She can walk on her own," Ronon told him. Ula jumped down and stood next to him to prove his point. Giothan glared again before turning and heading out. The two guards indicated for him to follow, and with a feral look that caused them to take a step back, he did as told.

The corridor they walked down was dark and gray, lit by lights similar to those found in Atlantis. What had that arrogant man said, something about Ancestral research? Did the Ancestors make this place? After several minutes of walking they arrived at a guarded doorway. Giothan moved toward the control panel and punched in a series of figures before the doors slid open to reveal a room the size of the conference room in Atlantis. In the central part of the room were several large consoles, none of which were currently active by the looks of it. To one side were two storage bins, though he didn't know what they held, while to the other was a table with several pieces of equipment, including McKay's laptop and a few scanners. And standing in front of the computer with a frown on his face was McKay himself, who looked upon hearing the doors open.

"Ah, finally, Specialist Dex. Now perhaps I can get some real work done."

"McKay? You okay?" Ronon asked, stepping slowly into the room. He could easily deal with the two guards and one scientist, but then what? He still didn't know where they were or how many other guards he'd have to deal with. Ula had already made her way to the scientist, who gave a reassuring pat to her head before turning back to him.

"Yes, fine. Well, as fine as can be concerning the circumstances."

"Enough, Doctor McKay," Giothan interrupted. "I have brought Specialist Dex as you requested. You will now do as you have been told. Or need I remind you of what will happen if you fail to do so?"

A dark look passed over McKay's face. "No, you don't."

"That is what I thought." With a final disgusted look at Ronon, Giothan exited the room, the doors shutting behind him.

"McKay, what is going on?"

"I have been instructed to modify and repair the primary defense systems used by this facility, as well as create a detailed inventory of all the Ancient artifacts that have currently been discovered." He indicated the two bins. "And you are going to help me."

"You're joking. I don't know the first thing about…"

"The proper inventorying sequencing, I know," McKay interrupted. "I have already figured out the method. For now, I need you to conduct monitoring on the systems while I work on the main circuitry."

"You want me to what?" Ronon asked, completely confused. "What's going on?"

"Specialist Dex, let me explain this to you. We, as in you and me, are going to get the Velian defense system up and running. In addition, we will conduct a full inventory on the Ancient devices in those two bins over there. Now, I know you haven't completed your training yet, but I believe I will be able to get you around that without too much difficulty."

"And why would we want to do that?"

"Because the Velians are watching," McKay told him, meeting his eyes. "And if they see us failing to work, everyone in the mining facility will be killed. Do you understand now?" McKay's voice held none of the usual sarcasm or mockery; he was deadly serious. What did he mean, the Velians were watching? How could the people in the mines be killed? They had secured the perimeter, and besides from a few weak structures the mines were safe.

Then slowly he began to understand. The Velians obviously had more advanced technology than they had let on, so it was possible they had a monitoring device like those in Atlantis. If that was true, then they had probably been watching for some time. There must also be a weapon capable of harming those in the mines, and they had used it as leverage to force McKay to cooperate. Yet McKay had already thought ahead. By calling him Specialist Dex, McKay was trying to pass him off as one of his assistants, which would allow them to keep watch over each other. It was a good plan, and all he had to do was play along, simple enough.

"I understand, Doctor McKay," he answered somewhat awkwardly. "What systems do I monitor again?"

Relief flashed in the scientist's eyes before he pointed to the laptop. "Here, come here. I just need you to relay this information to me while I work on the console." Ronon moved forward, looking at the screen in complete bafflement. There were at least six different 'things' occurring at the same time, as well as several flashing displays, none of which he had any idea what it meant. Then again, maybe this wasn't such a good plan after all.


	6. Chapter 6

"Absolutely not John."

"But Elizabeth, so far the Velians haven't been so honest with us either. Their Magistrate claimed no one has gone into the ruins for nearly a generation, so how does that explain the amount of life signs that appeared?"

"And you think that gives you the right to simply barge in with complete defiance to their culture and laws?"

"They're hiding something."

"Yes, so you've told me."

"So what's the problem?"

Weir let out a long sigh, hand to her head in frustration. As much as she mourned the loss of Ronon and Rodney, she knew John was hurting even more. She had approved the nighttime recognizance mission in hopes his suspicions were right, but now he what he was suggesting was just too much. Three full teams and nearly a dozen scientists swarming into the ruins to examine the crystal room was simply not an option. They had made a treaty with the Velians and they couldn't just break it because he felt they were hiding something.

"John, you do realize we're also hiding information from them, as in the entire existence of Atlantis? Every nation I have ever dealt with has always had something to hide and has never been easily forthcoming with their information. Even the SGC wasn't completely upfront with the Russians about the alien technology acquired, and they're our main allies."

"Yes, but…"

"Let me finish. I'm not saying you are wrong to want to go back. I'm saying your methods are wrong. The Velians are expecting the rest of the medicine we promised, and we need to keep our word. However, it wouldn't hurt to have a chat with this Magistrate, to see if something can be worked out."

"Fine, I'll take Teyla with me and…"

"No. I will go with Teyla."

"But Elizabeth!"

"You're too wound up, John. You are letting your emotions cloud your judgment. You said only two people are allowed to confer with the Magistrate. Teyla and I will be the ones to speak with him."

"And you just want me to sit back and do nothing?"

"I want you to trust me on this, John."

"And if he says no?"

"Then we'll decide at that time. But I hope you have more faith in me than that."

"Fine. But this time we take a jumper and park it nearby, and you'll have a full escort. I'm not going to risk losing anyone else." Sheppard didn't like it, not at all, but he saw the logic in Weir's words and he resigned himself to wait, again.

oOo oOo oOo

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Well, check again."

With an exasperated sigh, Zelenka began to conduct yet another test. He thought McKay was a pain to work under, but an agitated Sheppard was twice as bad. The Colonel was hovering about, doubt and anxiety obvious in his movements.

After several hours of negotiating, Weir had convinced Kizel to allow a small team to enter the ruins one more time. Kizel had been made absolutely clear that they would never again be allowed such a request again, though the team in the mines would be allowed to stay. In exchange, the Atlanteans would need to provide additional shipments of medicine as well education on the Ancestral language.

While Teyla and Lorne searched the rest of the ruins with Betar in tow, Sheppard, Zelenka, and several others had entered the crystal room. Another priest by the name of Maliek silently observed the group as they worked, a constant frown on his face. He did not approve of the intrusion and was especially not looking forward to the cleansing ceremony afterwards.

Zelenka had connected various scanners to the pedestal in any and all attempts to make sense of the device. Yet aside from a slight increase in energy when Sheppard touched it, nothing else happened. All attempts to open the device or access the red ball ended in failure. The tension was high as the allowed time was almost up and yet there was nothing to show for it.

"Colonel Sheppard?" Kreola called out. "Please come here." With another impatient look at Zelenka, who was too absorbed in his work to notice, he moved to where she was standing in front of one of the walls.

"What?" he asked in annoyance. She turned to face him.

"I know you are upset at the loss of your friends," she began in a harsh tone, "but that is no excuse to berate those who are trying to help. You are not making the situation any better." He began to respond but she held up a hand, her voice becoming softer. "Believe me, I feel the loss of Rodney and Ronon. I owe them my life. Yet we have tried everything we could think of, run every test, and still we have found nothing. The energy reading seems to be a residual shield in the room, and nothing more."

"But the pedestal has to do something."

"Everything does something, even if it is just to sit there and be looked at, just like these walls. As beautiful as they are, they do nothing else. We have done all we can here. Why would the Velians risk allowing us to come back if they were hiding something?"

"What if they thought we wouldn't be able to find it? Maybe we're just not looking hard enough."

"And maybe they are not here, John." The Colonel paused, turning to look at the scientists working around the room and at the pedestal, as they had been for the past few hours.

"But it doesn't make sense," he quietly said. "Why would a Wraith Dart appear, cull two people, and then just disappear?"

"No one can ever understand the Wraith. Perhaps it was a scout ship, or a sign of what is to come. I am sorry John, but even if we had days the result would be the same. Rodney and Ronon are not to be found here."

He knew what she said was true, but still felt in his gut that the Velians were hiding something. Yet what more could he do? Even with all their technology and all their equipment, even being granted the right to perform their tests, they had found nothing. When Lorne and Teyla arrived a few minutes later any last remaining hope he had was crushed by the expressions on their faces.

"We have searched all the buildings," Teyla told him. "All are destroyed except for this one."

"And nothing appeared on any of the scanners," Lorne added. "I'm sorry sir."

"So am I," came the quiet reply. Louder he called out, "Okay, pack it up. We're done here." All eyes turned to him, a mixture of emotions yet all sharing the same thing: sorrow. "We're done," he echoed. He looked once more at the pedestal, fighting back the urge to destroy the thing that denied his hope. Damn it all!


	7. Chapter 7

Deidre watched the surveillance video in amusement as Doctor McKay muttered quietly to himself, looking between the multiple systems set up before him. Nearby the large brute of a man called Specialist Dex was typing on one of their portable systems. Every so often McKay would ask Dex for information and the brute would respond. She knew the words held importance to them, but to her it just a bunch of meaningless sounds. Unless it had wings and was capable of being flown, she didn't care.

She knew her people were one of the few who had advanced enough to develop flight. Carefully hidden laboratories and detailed notes passed down from generation to generation had allowed them to craft ships capable of soaring in the sky. It was an achievement few others knew about since only those societies with equal or higher technology were privileged to witness it. At that point it was customary to exchange knowledge in hopes of advancing both societies. It was a method that had worked well for nearly a hundred years – until the last 'peaceful' society had betrayed them, killing several scientists and stealing years worth of data. The Velian council had vowed to never let that happen again, no matter the cost.

When these newcomers arrived, it was obvious they had technology far beyond anything her people had encountered so far. Their knowledge of Ancestral technology was astounding, especially by Doctor McKay. How had one man managed to learn more knowledge than a dozen Velian scientists? The council instantly knew that this was an opportunity they could not pass up.

Deidre had been summoned and given her orders – use the Wraith Dart to acquire the scientist. Though she knew the implications of such an act, and the wrongfulness of it, she was a soldier trained to obey orders. She also knew of the necessity of such a move. Many of their trading partners had reported an increase of Wraith cullings; some had been completed decimated. It was only a matter of time until the Wraith came to her planet.

With a soft sigh she turned away from the screens, moving back to where the Dart ship was still being repaired. She would've like to have the scientist work on the ship as well, seeing how it was the brutish assistant who damaged it, yet she knew that was not yet a top priority. It was more important to get the defense system discovered within the underground facility operational. And there were still all the odd Ancestral items still to be cataloged. Those two had a lot of work to do; they wouldn't be free to look at the Dart anytime soon. In fact, they wouldn't be free at all, period. As a feeling of guilt began to appear, she changed her course and headed toward the exercise room. A good workout always made her feel better – and brought her mind away from what couldn't be changed.

oOo oOo oOo

"What's it say now?" McKay's muffled voice called out from underneath the console. Ronon glanced down at the monitor in front of him. The colorful lines and charts seemed to dance across the screen, with several numbers flashing in various corners and sections. He didn't understand it, had no idea what any of it meant. All he knew was that he had to pretend he knew what he was doing.

"Seventeen percent," Ronon responded, paying attention to the number in the upper right corner, the only one McKay had said was important and actually mattered. Everything else was for show. "The power levels are at nine while the conductor is at twenty."

He thought he heard a snort of laughter from McKay at the nonsense, but it didn't matter. As long as their captors believed McKay needed his help he could remain close to the scientist. Randomly typing a few buttons on the screen changed various numbers. The important number couldn't be affected by what he was doing, and McKay had encouraged him to do whatever he wanted to the rest. So with McKay referring to him as Specialist Dex, Ronon had tried to take his roll as a scientific assistant seriously.

"What about now?" came another muffled question.

"Forty percent," Ronon answered after glancing at the screen. "Power is up to twenty and conductor is at five."

"What, five? That can't be!" Shifting out from under the console, McKay hurried over to the screen. "Oh no no no no no!" He moved to another open laptop and began to quickly type. "This is so not good."

"What is it?" Ronon asked, more puzzled than concerned, but McKay was still concentrating on the computer. Moments later the lights began to flicker and the console McKay had been working on began to spark. "McKay!" he called out, now definitely concerned.

"It's overloading, I can't stop it!" A loud zapping sound filled the air as the console blew a circuit. The room was plunged into darkness for a few seconds before the lights were restored. Ronon expected to see McKay panicking, or working frantically, or even just frozen in a 'we're doomed' state of mind; what he did not expect was the scientist calmly typing on one of the systems.

"Uh, McKay?"

"Hmm?"

"What just happened?"

The scientist paused and looked up in puzzlement before understanding. "Oh, that. Nothing really, I just purposely blew out one of their systems." With that he went back to typing.

"Why?" Ronon asked a few moments later.

"Because," came the answer as McKay jabbed one last key, "It allowed me to disabled their monitoring systems, which means no more Big Brother watching us all the time. I've also managed to hack in and disable their ability to create any more tremors in the mines."  
"Won't they find out?" Ronon asked, not even bothering to inquire about the big brother comment.

"Of course they will. The point is for them to believe that we had no part in it, and more importantly, that we don't know anything about it." Seeing the lack of understanding in his eyes, McKay clarified, "If the Velians believe we think we're still being monitored, they will continue to threaten us with those still in the mines. However, we know they're safe now, well, relatively safe. Kinda hard to be really safe with these insane people. In either case, it gives us two less things worry about. Now, seeing how I also disabled their doors, I have a few minutes of peace to work on getting us out. Look here."

He pointed to the screen. Ronon recognized it as a building schematic, but he didn't know which one. "What is it?"

"A map of this facility. This is our building…" He pressed another button and the image seemed to multiply. "And this is the entire facility."

"It's… big."

"Understatement of the year," came the comment. The facility was along the size of the Daedalus, spanning throughout the ground. Parts were of Ancient design, others crafted afterwards to make the facility more livable. Shields prevented both power and life signs from being detected from the surface. The Velians were much more advanced than they had let on, even more so than the Genii, especially since they could both modify and repair Wraith Darts. The Velians would've been an extremely valuable ally – instead they had just become a very dangerous enemy.

"How do we get out?"

"That's the problem, I don't think we can. There don't appear to be many transporter rooms, and those that I have found are well off from our current position. I doubt we'd get that far before they caught up with us."

"I can handle them," Ronon growled out.

"Of course," McKay quickly added, sensing his anger. "Too bad there's only one of you and, oh, say about a hundred of them?"

"But what about getting us out of here?"

"That actually will be up to Ula." At the mention of her name the creature moved out of the corner where she had been resting, despite McKay's charade. Having spent so much time with the scientist she had seen through his farce. "I did manage to find an unprotected passage to the surface. Unfortunately, Ula is the only one who has a chance of fitting." He pointed upwards, and Ronon's gaze followed his hands. About fifteen feet up was a small opening, no larger than a foot wide or tall. "It should exit out close to the mines."

"Air shaft?"

"A crude version, yeah, added on sometime after the Ancients left." McKay reached into his pocket and pulled out an object, which he placed on the floor before him. "I wish I could give our guys a better message, but these Velians will notice anything missing. This was the only thing I could think of that won't show up on any of their scanners." Ronon looked down at it.

"A power bar wrapper?" Pretty darn good description of McKay. The man was constantly munching on the foul things. "Good choice."

"Yeah." Ula moved forward and McKay laid a hand on her head. "You know I don't like it either," he told her softly, "but there's no other choice. You're the only one who fits, and you're a lot faster." Ula's expression showed that she wasn't happy with the news yet understood. "I don't know what's out there so just … be careful." Ula's tails flicked in unison as she gently bumped her head against his hand. "Ronon, could you help her up?"

He nodded. After Ula picked up the piece of foil in her mouth, he lifted her up and brought her to the wall. With a powerful jump she leapt out up out of his arms and into the shaft. She disappeared for a moment only to reappear and look down, her golden eyes meeting with McKay's gaze before she disappeared once more.

"You think she'll be able to make it to the gate?" Ronon asked as he moved toward McKay. The scientist forced his gaze away from the shaft and back to the open laptop before him.

"Of course she will," he stated curtly. "No way the Velians have anything fast enough to catch her. Besides, there may still be a chance of our own escape." He indicated the box of Ancient doodads still waiting to be inventoried. "Don't know what we'll find."

"You mean what you'll find," Ronon clarified, grabbing an item from the box that resembled an oversized spoon. "Just a bunch of junk to me."

"Yes, well, let's not go around announcing that to the Velians just yet, shall we? It was hard enough convincing them you knew what you were doing the first time around."

Ronon didn't say anything, but he could sense the uneasiness from McKay. Although the scientist was quick to avoid danger, Ronon knew he didn't like sending others into it either. And as much as McKay tried to pretend he just tolerated the Ulata Sitera, Ronon knew he cared for the little creature. Sending her off into the unknown must have been a difficult decision for him.

"Now, Specialist Dex," McKay stated, snapping him out of his thoughts, "We need to get back to our work. My little distraction must've got them running, and by now I imagine they've figured out how to override the doors. So remember, there was an unexpected explosion which I, using my brilliance, have just managed to fix, as usual."

"As usual," Ronon echoed sarcastically, but McKay had already returned beneath the console. With a sigh Ronon retook his monitoring position. Moments later the doors opened and two Velian scientists rushed in followed by several guards.

"What happened?" demanded Giothan. The head scientist had made several visits in order to 'encourage' them to work faster and was not about to tolerate any delays. With him was Galina, who had discovered the main defense system several years ago. She had pressured the council to see the defense system working before any of the Ancestral items were identified. The council had decided that a few items could be cataloged each day, but that the majority of the time would be spent on the defense system, a decision that had left an uneasy tension between the two scientists.

"What do you mean, what happened?" McKay sarcastically asked as he emerged from the console. "Your primitive functions nearly caused our deaths, that's what happened! We were lucky enough to limit the damage to just one system."

"What is the extent of the damage?" Galina asked, looking at the still smoking console with concern. "How bad is it?"

"Luckily it's better than it looks," McKay answered, looking at the system. "Specialist Dex was able to reroute power to a secondary conduit before the first caused a complete failure. Although I haven't run a full check, I don't think this will set us back too much."

"Don't forget your friends in the mines," Giothan stated. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to them now, would you?" McKay's eyes narrowed. Ronon saw the anger building and broke in quickly.

"We haven't forgotten," he interrupted. "Replacing the primary conduit will only take a few extra hours. Your system should still be ready according to our initial estimates, even with your faulty technology. That is, if you would let us work without constant interruptions." Thankfully no one noticed the look of shock on McKay's face at the easy use of gibberish.

Offended, Giothan was ready to order another 'demonstration' of their power, but Galina spoke first. "Please forgive us," she stated softy. "We know these working conditions are not what you are used to, but our survival rests in your hands. Our allies report an alarmingly increase in Wraith activity. Cullings occur more frequently and with more devastation. We need to have the device operational as quickly as possible."

Giothan cast a look at her that clearly showed his disapproval at her actions, but she did not see it, her eyes still on Ronon's. She knew how vital it for the system to be operational, and that simply threatening these two relentlessly would only hinder their efforts. Asking instead of demanding would get better results – especially since their threats could no longer be backed up.

"We'll get it working," Ronon roughly declared, "just let us work." He still had the urge to simply reach for his knives and fight their way out, despite McKay's prediction, but he knew it was not yet an option. Ula just left – she needed time to contact the others. But if there was no word from their friends within a few days, he was breaking out, one way or another.


	8. Chapter 8

The two soldiers reclined in the shadow of the stargate, trying to avoid the rays of the hot afternoon sun. It was the last day of gate guard duty, and there were only a few hours left before the scientists finished their work in the mines and they'd head for home. With his boonie hat slanted forward and a blade of grass to chew on, Everett daydreamed about the days on his grandfather's farm.

"What's that?" His thoughts broken, Everett looked to where Barnett was pointing. In the distance, coming from the direction of the mines, he could make out a small figure approaching. No one was scheduled to be returning yet, and there had been no call on the radio. Taking out his binoculars he looked again, not believing what he saw.

"It's the doc's cat!" Everett tossed the binoculars over as he scrambled to his feet. "Dial Atlantis." He was then running, his quick stride bringing him to the creature in less than a minute. His steps slowed as he neared, taking in the sight before him. Ula was walking with a heavy limp, her two tails dragging and one ear bent down at an awkward angle. Dark smudges of blood coated her fur, and her golden eyes seemed filled with pain. Everett knelt down as Ula came to a stop before him.

"What happened to you?" he asked. He knew she had been taken along with Ronon and the doc. Had the Wraith tossed her out? "What's that in your mouth?" She opened her jaw, releasing her hold on the item entrusted to her. Everett picked it up, turning it over in his hand. "What's this now, a wrapper?" His eyes then widened as he looked back to Ula. "Wait, is this from the doc? Does that mean he's here on the planet?" The creature's eyes met his with an intense stare before she collapsed, unmoving. "Hey, cat? Cat!" Worried at the lack of response, Everett carefully picked up the still form and rushed back to the gate.

oOo oOo oOo

"How is she?"

Beckett lowered the clipboard to see Sheppard walk into the room. He was in full gear, his P-90 hanging from his shoulders. Beckett knew the Colonel was scheduled to return to the Velian planet to mount a rescue mission now that they had their evidence. The physician turned his gaze back to the clipboard.

"Fortunately I had a wee bit of veterinary practice back home. I've set her ear and wrapped her broken leg, and managed to stitch up a deep cut along her back. When you add on the blood loss and dehydration, it's a miracle she survived. I have her on kaleeta fluids now, but even with that it'll take some time before she's fully healed."

Sheppard nodded, looking at the small creature lying on top of the large bed. He had grown used to the Ulata Sitera's presence among them, even come to count on her in keeping McKay out of trouble. When the Dart had culled her along with McKay and Ronon, she became just one more among the many lost to the enemy. Yet her presence on the planet, along with the wrapper she carried, was the proof Sheppard needed to finally confront the Velians. McKay and Ronon were still on the planet, and it was about time they came home.

"She's a tough fighter," he commented. "Stubborn too."

"Aye, takes after Rodney a bit much I think."

At the mention of the scientist's name, Ula's head lifted as she opened her eyes to look at the two. Seeing her about to move further Beckett hurried forward. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" Golden eyes pierced his – aye, definitely taking too much after Rodney. "Yes, we got your message. A rescue team is being assembled as we speak. You can bet Rodney is worried about you too, and I don't need him yelling at me for letting you injury yourself further. So just rest now, alright?"

Ula looked from Beckett to Sheppard, who nodded. "Thanks to you we know they're still on the planet. Don't worry, we'll bring them home." Satisfied, she lowered her head back to the bed, returning to a healing sleep. Stubborn indeed, Beckett thought as he moved back toward Sheppard. So willing to join the search party even in her poor condition.

"Wish I could go with you," Beckett told Sheppard. Though he hated gate travel, he hated more not being there for his friends. But another team had recently returned from another mission with severe injuries. He had only taken a moment to check on the Ulata Sitera while the solider was being prepped for surgery on his broken leg.

"I know."

"Bring 'em back."

"I will," Sheppard assured him before glancing once more at creature sleeping on the bed. He knew McKay was worried about the creature, even if the scientist wouldn't admit to it, and would be relieved to know she was recovering.

When Sheppard arrived the gateroom the others were ready and waiting. Teyla and Lorne, as well as Everett, Barnett, Michaels, Smith, Young, would help conduct the primary search. Mason and Hutchins, along with a medical team, would be in a cloaked jumper as backup support, while Kreola would be follow in the scout jumper to monitor the systems and report anything out of the ordinary. Seeing him arrive Everett approached.

"How's the cat?" he asked, genuinely concerned. One of the few to actually volunteer to baby-sit the scientist offworld, Everett had grown fond of the silver creature. She reminded him of his own cat, left in the care of his sister until his tour in Atlantis was over.

"Resting," Sheppard answered, not bothering to correct the solider on the creature's race. "Carson says she'll make a full recovery."

"That's good," the solider stated, relieved. He had been worried; the cat hadn't been in good shape when he had brought it to Atlantis. "Doc will be happy to hear that."

"Yeah, he will." Sheppard headed toward Lorne and Teyla. "Everything set?"

"Yes sir," Lorne stated.

"All right then, time to bring our boys home."


	9. Chapter 9

Suya placed another mark on the pad of paper in her hand, nodding. "That is correct sir," she answered. "Fourteen so far. There are several more storage bunkers under construction, but they should be ready by harvest time."

"Very good." From behind his desk, Kizel leaned back in his chair, satisfied. Things were going well in the fields, the medicine they had acquired was proving to be a profitable trading commodity, and Doctor McKay and his assistant were obediently working down in the labs. Best of all, Doctor Weir had agreed her people were never again to set foot in the ruins, which meant no more worrying about being discovered. Perhaps he should send her flowers and his humble sympathy for the loss of Doctor McKay. Suya looked up from her work as the Magistrate chuckled to himself. At her odd glance he simply waved her off.

"Sir, if there is nothing else, I shall excuse myself." He offered another wave. As she began to make her way to the door loud voices could be heard from outside. A moment later the curtains were thrown aside and several of the Atlanteans entered. She recognized Colonel Sheppard and Teyla Emmagan, but the others she did not know. However, their intent was clearly hostile, and she clutched the pad to her chest, wide-eyed with fear.

"What is the meaning of this?" the Magistrate demanded as he stood. "How dare you enter my office without permission!"

"Screw your permission," Colonel Sheppard spat out. "You kidnapped two of my men, and in my book that is an act of war. And unless you want us to turn your entire village upside down and inside out, you will release them immediately."

Suya had never seen someone so angry, so full of hatred. She quietly stepped back, stopping only when her back struck the wall. With the soldiers blocking the doorway, she was trapped.

"We have been through this before, Colonel," Kizel calmly replied, adjusting his cloak. "We allowed you a search of our sacred ruins and your scientists have found nothing. You must accept that your friends were taken by the Wraith. If you continue to accuse us we will take that as a sign of aggression. Now, I demand that…"

Sheppard slammed his fist onto the desk, the loud noise making Suya jump. When he lifted his hand a silver piece of paper remained. She recognized the odd wrapping from the food that Doctor McKay been eating when he had returned from the ruins, but what did that mean?

The Magistrate looked down at the foil, the uneasy feeling growing stronger. This wasn't looking good. Putting on a strong front he casually asked, "A wrapper?"

"Yes, a wrapper," Sheppard answered in a low voice, "delivered to us by an Ulata Sitera. The same one that was culled along with both Dex and McKay."

Fear fully engulfed him now. They knew! Somehow the stupid creature had escaped without him even noticing. That meant Doctor McKay must know the systems had failed – he had probably arranged it himself! Fear turned into fury; the man would pay for his insolence! Taking a step back, Kizel casually reached for his right wrist, activating the device he wore.

"I see you have discovered my little ploy, Colonel Sheppard," he said, still backing up. "Too bad it will do you no good. By the time you find him, your Doctor McKay will be dead. Guards!" Kizel turned and jumped as part of the wall behind him slid aside. The moment he was through several guards rushed in, weapons firing. The Atlantean soldiers quickly responded, ducking and returning fire.

Suya knew she had to leave but she couldn't move. The fear of the fight and the shock of the Magistrate's betrayal left her numb. Then suddenly she was on the ground, the notepad flying from her arms. She turned, seeing Teyla kneeling protectively over her. By the time she recovered enough to speak, the fight was over.

"We need a medical team in here now," Sheppard called through his radio. "Kreola, Kizel escaped through a secret passage. Can you track his movements?"

_"He is heading toward the ruins,"_ came the reply. _"He … what? A Wraith Dart has just appeared on the sensors!"_

"Wraith?" He turned to Teyla. "Do you sense anything?"

"No," was the firm answer. "Whoever is in that ship is not a Wraith, of that I am sure."

_"The ship is heading your way. I will try to intercept."_

"Negative!" Sheppard answered. "Neither you nor that ship were designed to fight. Lt. Mason, I'm taking your jumper. The rest of you, stop Kizel!" With that he ran out of the room.

"Smith, Young, stay here with the prisoners," Lorne called out. "The rest of us are going to the ruins. I have a feeling our friend is heading to the crystal room."

"Crystal room? With the walls of colored glass?" Suya's quiet questions caused the group to turn their eyes to her. She swallowed nervously.

"How do you know of it?" Teyla asked. "We were told only priests were allowed into the ruins."

"That is true," she answered. "But when you are young, you do not go by such rules. I used to play there as a child many years ago."

"What do you know of it?" Teyla prompted.

"Not much, only that it is used to…" Suya gasped. "Oh no! If your friends are truly being held against their will, they will be in the underground facility." She looked at Teyla with pleading eyes. "Please, I did not know."

"What underground facility?" Lorne asked, sidestepping around the incoming physicians.

"One time as I was playing in the crystal room my father arrived. He was angry and yelling about how important the pedestal was to our people and how I must never endanger it by playing in the ruins again. He took me to a place where scientists were working so I would understand, and made me promise to never speak of it again." She turned her gaze to Lorne. "Please, let me go with you. I know how to activate the device. I will help you."

"No way," Lorne answered.

"Major Lorne," Teyla interrupted, "If what she says is true, we will need her help entering the facility."

Clearly not happy, Lorne reluctantly agreed. Leaving the two soldiers to guard the prisoners as well as protect the physicians, the remaining group headed outside. Suya was amazed to see a strange-looking metallic contraption waiting in the middle of the street. There were no wheels, so how had it gotten there? Two soldiers stood near the bottom of its ramp, while a woman waited near the top.

"Need a lift?" the woman asked with a knowing grin.

"Kreola, nice timing," Lorne called out. "We need to hurry."

"I know," she answered, "get in." By the time everyone was inside she was already at the controls. "Hang on!" With a burst of speed, the jumper was up and heading to the ruins.

oOo oOo oOo

Sheppard had barely waited for the last of the physicians to disembark before he had ship cloaked and up in the air. The systems responded to his needs, showing the Dart's location and current heading. Whoever was piloting the craft was not Wraith, and he though it was time to end the charade.

The enemy ship came into view, leaving from the ruins and heading directly toward the city. Coincidence? Yeah, right. He waited until it was closer before firing off a drone, the jumper's cloak automatically disengaging. The Dart moved with incredible speed and agility, twisting as it fired its weapons, destroying the drone. He was dealing with an extremely skilled pilot - this was not going to be easy.

Sheppard launched another drone as he arched the jumper to the side, cursing under his breath as the Dart managed to dodge the drone again. As the golden projectile began to curve after its intended target, the Dart reacted by executing a tight upward turn before diving toward the jumper with weapons firing. With both mental and physical strength Sheppard pulled the jumper back, evading the attack as well as the seeking drone. Another twist and the Dart was facing the drone, firing until it destroyed it mid-air, then quickly turning yet again and firing at the jumper.

Cursing under his breath, wishing the ship had regular weapons in addition to the drones, Sheppard steered hard left and down, diving beneath the Dart and coming up behind it. With another twist he was facing it. "Dodge this!" he called out before sending off a third and fourth drone.

oOo oOo oOo

Teyla followed Suya through the ruins, her eyes constantly scanning about as they ran. It wasn't that she didn't trust Suya; the girl was perhaps the only honest person they had encountered so far. Rather, it was the uneasy feeling that came from the unknown. The Magistrate's life sign had vanished somewhere between the city and the ruins. Did he have technology to cloak his presence, or was it possible he was no longer there? While Kreloa and Mason remained in the scout jumper to continue monitoring the area, Teyla and the rest had entered the ruins. Despite her uneasiness, the group arrived at the crystal room without incident.

"There," Suya stated, indicating the pedestal. "That is how you enter the underground science facility."

"We tried that already," Lorne stated. "Nothing worked."

"It will only work if you know its secret," the young girl replied, walking to the pedestal. "The key is to know where you are going. That is what these walls are for." She swept her arm about. "It is a map of the facility, of how it used to be while the Ancestors were here." Her eyes roamed the walls. "I forgot how beautiful this was," she quietly added.

"A map?" Lorne asked, also looking around. If that was true, the facility was huge. "How will we know where they are being held? We don't have time to search it all."

"Not all of it remains. I still remember the sadness in my father's voice when he spoke of entire sections crumbling beneath the weight of the world. We had walked down a passage toward a central gathering room where so many scientists were working." Suya paused, recalling the mix of emotions she had felt those many years ago: wonder, pride, and sorrow. How many years had those scientists spent below the surface, sacrificing everything for the sake of protecting everyone? "I believe your friends would be held close to that area. I am sorry I cannot give you a more definite answer."

"At least it gives us a place to start," Lorne said. "Alright then, beam us down, Scotty." Suya looked at him with puzzled eyes. "Bring us to the facility," he clarified. With a nod she turned toward one of the walls, finding the room she had been brought to so many years ago, and placed a hand down gently atop the pedestal. Everything went dark for just a moment, like a long blink, and when light returned they were in the facility. The soldiers quickly raised their weapons, scanning around. The room looked similar to the transporters on Atlantis, only larger. The map of the facility was on the wall opposite the door, which had slid open to reveal a quiet and darkened corridor.

"The central gathering room is at the end of this passageway," Suya informed them. "I remember scientists walking about, moving from level to level. I can show you."

"No, you won't," Lorne ordered. "We go alone." Seeing the hurt in the girl's eyes Teyla placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, looking directly at her.

"You have helped us enough," Teyla softly said, "And we could not have made it this far without you. Yet this will be dangerous, and we do not want you to be harmed. Will you be able to return to the village safely on your own?"

"Yes," she sadly replied. "I will be okay. And I understand. Good luck, Teyla Emmagan." She watched as the group moved out of the room, amazed to see the corridor light up in response to their presence. Alone, she moved toward the map but paused, turning back. "To return to the surface, simply picture the crystal room." Suya placed her hand on the map and the doors slid shut, and when they opened again the young aide was gone.

"Alright, time to find our missing friends," Lorne said. "Move out!" With weapons raised and ready, the group of six proceeded down the corridor.

oOo oOo oOo

"He's good," Deidre commented quietly, watching the jumper weave in and out of her line of attack. His projectile weapons were beyond anything she had seen before, shadowing her movements almost perfectly. If she hadn't pushed the Dart to the extreme, executing moves that would mean the death to less experienced pilots, she wouldn't have survived the first attack. The Velian aircraft, those she had grown up learning to fly, were crude in comparison to either of these two crafts. Yet those simple ships, which pushed a pilot to his limits, had strengthened her both physically and mentally. She didn't know who the other pilot was but assumed it was one of the people from the recent trade agreement, one of Doctor McKay's companions. Was he trying to free his friend? It didn't matter. His efforts were futile, because she was not about to lose.

The enemy fired two more of his glowing weapons, and she cursed under her breath. She had barely dodged the previous two; this was going to be tricky. Deidre pulled at the controls, forcing the ship into a tight backward loop, arching up and over the projectiles, whose course had changed to match her own. With another twist she had the Dart upright and headed toward the scattered trees, weaving between them like a slalom skier. The sensors were screaming at her, warning of imminent collisions, yet she continued on. One of the drones struck a tree, the loud explosion sending out a spray of light and wood.  
Her hands flying across the controls, Deidre aimed her weapons and fired. The massive tree before her broke apart and fell, barely missing her ship. The projectile weapon slammed into the falling timber, sending forth another shower of wood and light. Letting out a laugh of triumph, she set the ship upwards once more, seeking out the enemy. Her laughter died out as the sensors came up blank – the ship had vanished.

She knew the ship was equipped with some sort of device to render it invisible since it had appeared out of nowhere earlier. She also knew there must be a way to detect it, she just wasn't sure what that was. With another muttered curse Deidre switched to secondary weapons, firing the lasers at random while constantly scanning, looking for any indication of the ship, hoping for a lucky shot. In the end they were both lucky.

The ship appeared before her, launching its projectile weapon. At this distance there was no room to dodge it; she would be struck for sure, yet so would he. The strikes occurred almost instantaneously. Her weapons struck the right end of the ship, destroying one of the engine pods, sending the ship careening away and out of control. It would be unable to fight anymore, yet it no longer mattered. The drone had struck into the side of her ship, destroying the entire back half and most of the control systems. What remained was smoking, the controls sparking as the severed wires were flung about in the air. She knew this was her last flight. With an eerie sense of calm she flicked on the radio, not even knowing if the enemy craft was capable of picking up the signal.

"Well met," she said as her ship spiraled toward the ground. "Go and rescue your friends." With a serene smile she accepted her fate as the remains of the Wraith Dart crashed into the ground.


	10. Chapter 10

Teyla's strikes were swift and accurate, sending the Velian guard to the ground with little more than a quiet grunt. After a quick glance around she nodded back to the others. As Everett and Barnett pulled the unconscious body away, Lorne knelt down next to her at the doorway, peering out into the main room.

The initial corridor had ended at a large gathering room as Suya had described. There were four levels, each branching off into several directions. The upper levels were mostly deserted and unused, while the lower levels had several guards and scientists walking about on an almost continuous basis. What had captured their attention were the two guards posted by one of the corridors on the lowest level. That is where they guessed their friends were being held.

The group had carefully made their way down, relying mainly on stealth. The few guards they had encountered had been knocked out without incident, their weapons taken. They had finally arrived on the ground floor, and all that was left was to find away across the open floor, past the guards, and down the corridor. Simple enough.

Lorne glanced up at the second floor, watching as Hutchins and Michaels moved into position near one of the empty lab rooms. The two had volunteered to cause a distraction in hopes of drawing the immediate guards away. Between those two soldiers and the explosives they had planted in the deserted areas, it should be enough to keep the rest of the guards busy long enough for the rest of them to complete the rescue mission. An alarm in the background began to ring.

"Guess they've found out about us," Lorne stated. He signaled to Michaels, who gave a wave of acknowledgement. "Ready?" he quietly asked Teyla, who simply nodded. She was holding one of the acquired Velian weapons set on what she hoped was a stun mode. Nothing was going to stop them from freeing their missing comrades, but hopefully they could keep the casualties to a minimum.

The waiting group of four watched as Hutchins and Michaels moved into the open, firing down at the two guards, purposely missing. Already tensed up from the alarms the guards moved fast, their own weapons out and firing back. The soldiers ducked behind the cover of the Ancient guardrail and moments later a loud explosion echoed out from one of the upper floors.

"Stop them!" one of the guards yelled out, pointing up to the second level. Several more guards had appeared while all the scientists had gone scrambling out of the room. Both Hutchins and Michaels fired again and then were retreating back toward the transporter room, the Velian guards racing after them.

"It worked, let's go," Lorne ordered, dashing out into the now deserted room, the others right behind. Staying below the overhanging balconies, they followed the wall toward the now guard-free doorway. No one noticed the four intruders as they entered into the restricted area of the compound.

oOo oOo oOo

The first indication that something wasn't right occurred when a warning light began flashing on the monitors. Then there was the annoying alarm echoing away in the background. And finally there was the yelling and pounding coming from outside the room as the guards tried to break down the door.

"McKay, work faster!" Ronon called out from his position by the door. The warrior had a firm grip on his knives as he watched the door, body tense, though McKay wasn't sure if it had to do more with anxiousness or eagerness. All he did know was that if he hadn't remotely locked the doors when he had, there'd already be a room full of guards to deal with. Still, it was only a matter of time before the doors gave away. Sure Ronon could probably take out the first squad, but how long could one man last against several dozen?

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he answered, "Playing solitaire? I'm working on it! Even geniuses need to have a little time to … oh!" He went quiet, reading the data now displayed on the screen.

"Oh what, McKay?"

"There are reports of intruders in the facility." Their eyes met in understanding. "She made it." Ronon simply nodded. McKay let out a quiet sigh of relief, not realizing how worried he had been the past few days. With renewed confidence he began typing again. "Now it's time for us to make our great escape. I've managed to create a program to disable the shielding system. Since the facility is set up in several quadrants, it needs to run its way into the various systems before it could work, not to mention working around the rough additions. Too bad we don't have our radios. But if Sheppard has a jumper in the air, which I'm sure he does, our life signs can now be tracked."

"What about the defense system and the other stuff?" Ronon asked, indicating the box. They had managed to identify nearly half of the objects, mostly mundane items, including a heating device, light, and an image recorder. The spoon-like item turned out to be some sort of music device, producing a series of tones that sounded similar to birdcalls.

"The defense protocols are on this crystal," McKay answered, holding up a small blue crystal that he then placed in his pocket. "I should be able to reproduce it on Atlantis. As for the devices, there's not really a choice. Unless you could carry them we'll have to leave them."

"I could if you'd do the fighting."

"Like I said, not really a choice." He picked up several of the smaller items, including the music device, light, and a pen-like device, tucking them all in his small pack. As an afterthought he retrieved a two-foot long flat-edged beam. Though they hadn't figured out its purpose yet, it could at least be used as a weapon.

"Sounds like they're almost through," Ronon commented, his stance changing as he brought the knives up. "Stay behind me."

"You bet," came the reply as he took up a position a nice distance from the door. It helped to have the console in front of him as an added backup.

A tense quiet filled the air, broken only by the muffled shouts from the other side of the door. Everything went so fast. Before the doors were even fully open Ronon was moving, the knives flashing, the cries of pain, the thuds as bodies hit the ground. McKay watched in fearful fascination, the beam held loosely in his hands.

"McKay. McKay!" Ronon's shout broke him out of his daze. "Let's go!" the former runner called out before heading back through the door. Moving somewhat slowly McKay made his way out the door, stepping over the non-moving bodies. Where they dead or simply knocked out? He didn't really want to know. "Move it McKay!"

"Alright already," he replied, forcing his eyes away from the bodies. "Hold your horses." With the pack on his back and beam in hand he hurried forward after the Satedan, hoping to encounter the 'intruders' before they encountered any more guards.

oOo oOo oOo

Sheppard managed to force the jumper into a somewhat stable hover just a few feet above the ground, although steering it was another issue all together. The Dart's attack had not only destroyed most of the right drive pod but part of the hull. His right arm stung from the resulting shrapnel and his ears still rang from the loud explosion. His brief sigh of relief at being alive evaporated almost instantly as his attention turned back to the enemy – where was he? Then he saw it, the remains of the Dart hurling downwards. His radio crackled to life. "Well met," a soft voice spoke over the radio. "Go and rescue your friends." Seconds later the Dart smashed into the ground, sending pieces of the ship flying in every direction.

He stared in the direction of the burning rubble. The voice was definitely non-Wraith, and not only that it sounded like a woman's. He knew the enemy came in all forms, that this was just another tag to his already bloody history, yet he still he felt the guilt and pain of taking another life. With a race as vicious as the Wraith, why couldn't humans put aside their differences and unite against the common enemy? With a heavy sigh he set the jumper down.

_"Colonel Sheppard?"_ Kreola's concerned voice came through the radio. _"I was watching the battle on my scanners. I see the Dart ship has been destroyed. What is the status of your ship?" _

"It's in one piece, more or less, though I'd rather not push it. McKay's gonna have a fit when he sees it." A soft laugh echoed through the radio.

_"Another one? I must be there to see his face," _she replied before turning serious_. "Colonel, I am detecting a life sign in the vicinity of the crashed ship. It may be possible the pilot is still alive. Shall Lt. Mason and I assist?"_

Still alive? He mentally pulled up the life signs sensor, unbelieving. A single dot was blinking close to the remains of the Dart. How had the pilot survived the crash? Although she was the enemy, he couldn't just leave her there to die. There hadn't been any hatred in her goodbye call, only sadness.

"No, you need to stay and keep watch for the others. Dial Atlantis and get a medical team here. Lt. Mason?"

"_Yes sir?"_

"Meet me at the crash site."

"_Yes sir. Leaving now."_

Sheppard looked at the screen. The Dart had crashed almost half a mile away from his position. Running there would not only take too long, but he was sure Beckett would chew him out for it, and he wasn't in the mood for another lecture. "Okay, just a little more," he coaxed the jumper. "Then you can rest, I promise. So, easy does it." He eased the jumper up and forward, constantly having to compensate for not being able to use the full power of the right thruster. Though difficult, he managed to get the jumper moving in a more-or-less straight line and was soon landing outside of the crash site.

As he exited the ship he let out a low whistle. The remains of the ship were still smoldering away, pieces scattered about in a wide circle. Looking at the LSD he headed in the direction of the blinking dot to a large tuft of dirt several yards away from the main area. Lying underneath a bulky piece of the ship's outer hull was the pilot.

Replacing the detector Sheppard carefully made his way forward. He wasn't a doctor, but he knew limbs didn't normally bend that way; the pilot's left arm was definitely dislocated. The helmet she wore had a large dent in the back, while the front visor was cracked and in pieces. She must've been thrown from the initial crash, and thanks to the durability of her helmet and uniform, and not to mention pure luck of landing in a patch of soft dirt, she hadn't been instantly killed. That would change if she wasn't tended to, and fast. First thing first, he had to get her free. He pushed against the still hot piece of metal with his left side, but it wouldn't budge.

"Colonel!" Sheppard looked up to see Mason running toward him, breathing hard. That was fast!

"Excellent timing, Lieutenant. Give me a hand." The young pilot quickly took a position next to his commanding officer. Together they pushed, managing to move the sheet of metal off and away while the pilot remained unresponsive. With the sheet gone the extent of the damage became even worse – her side had been pierced by a metal shard and her leg was so mangled pieces of bone were showing. Mason had turned quickly, fighting back nausea while Sheppard stood helpless, not even knowing where to begin. He only knew that unless the medical team arrived soon, they'd be transporting a corpse instead of a patient.

oOo oOo oOo

"I really think it would've been helpful if you had taken the time to perhaps show me some of these Conan moves of yours cause honestly I don't know what I'm doing and I'm more likely to…"

"Quiet."

"Did you just tell me to be quiet? I can't believe you just…"

"McKay, shut up." Thankfully the scientist did as told, perhaps hearing the hint of urgency in his voice. Or maybe it was the inclined threat. Whatever the reason, Ronon was just grateful for the silence. They had been making their way through the halls, heading toward the closest transporter McKay had found on the map. Ronon had managed to acquire a few of the Velian weapons along the way, which were similar to his blaster but on a much weaker scale. He had reluctantly agreed to use the stun setting if only to stop the scientist from blathering on constantly about morals and duty and such.

Leaning against the wall, Ronon pushed back the pain and concentrated on listening. Besides the frantic breathing of McKay, it was quiet. Yet he was sure he had heard a distant explosion and gunfire only moments ago.

"Come on," he ordered, pushing off against the wall. They couldn't wait there, out in the open. They had to keep going.

"Seriously, you okay?" He turned his gaze to McKay. "Uh, I mean besides the gaping hole in your shoulder cause I know that's gotta hurt and all and…"

"I'm fine."

The scientist fidgeted with the weapon in his hand, having tucked the beam in his pack when Ronon had handed him one of the Velian guns. Despite his complaining, he had managed to take down a few guards of his own. "Yeah but it's still bleeding and…"

"I said I'm fine. Let's go." Without another word he turned and began to move, hearing the scientist following. In truth his right arm was almost useless. The makeshift bandage only slowed the blood loss, and each movement sent spikes of pain throughout his body. Still, he'd had worse. At least he could still shoot with his left arm.

"At the next intersection, turn right," instructed McKay a short time later. "There should be a transporter at the end." Ronon simply grunted in response, hoping the man was right. He didn't know the effectiveness of the weapon's stun, or how much charge it still had, or how many more guards would be coming their way. He only knew he had protect McKay long enough for them to escape.

They arrived at the intersection without incident, and a short time later were in a room that looked similar to the transport rooms in Atlantis, only bigger. A golden map of the facility glowed on the far wall. Taking up a position by the doorway, Ronon kept an eye on the corridor as McKay hurried to the wall.

"Oh no no no no, don't do this!"

"What now?" Ronon asked.

"It's not working."

"What do you mean it's not working?" he demanded, turning to the scientist. McKay's right hand was pressed against the map, the left still holding loosely onto the weapon. Ronon didn't like the defeated look that was returned his way.

"I mean it's not working. We're stuck!"


	11. Chapter 11

Teyla ducked and rolled, coming up on the other side of the console and firing. The Velian guard jerked from the shock of the blast before collapsing to the ground. The resistance had started not long after they had passed through the doorway. They had been forced to retreat into one of the side rooms when several of the guards and even some scientists had appeared and began firing.

"Think that was the last of them," Lorne called out from behind another console, his weapon aimed toward the door. "How's the leg, Barnett?"

"Still works, Major," the solider replied. He had been struck in the left thigh, a painful but thankfully not too serious wound. "Still able to fight."

"Good to hear. Teyla, Everett?"

"I am well," Teyla answered, Everett echoing.

"Looks like they know we're here, so keep a sharp eye out. Everett, I want you and Barnett to keep a watch on our six while…" Their radios suddenly crackled.

"…_la? Major Lorne?" _ In disbelief Lorne activated his radio.

"Kreloa?"

_"Major Lorne, good to hear your voice. Are you well?"_

"Yes, but how are the radios working? I thought the shield blocked all outside signals."

_"That was true, but the sensors have just began to read multiple life signs from below the ground. The facility's shield appears to be failing, though I am unsure why."_

"My bet's on McKay. What of Colonel Sheppard and the Dart?"

"_He was able to destroy the ship. The pilot was found alive but in critical condition. A medical team was dispatched and has taken both the pilot and Colonel Sheppard back to Atlantis to attend their wounds. Lt. Mason stayed behind and is attempting to fly the Colonel's heavily damaged jumper back to the gate."_

"Was John hurt badly?" Teyla asked with concern.

"_According to him, no. Of course, Carson had a different opinion, and insisted the Colonel return to get his arm tended to before he caused any further injury to it. He was not happy with that idea."_

"I bet," Lorne said with a laugh. "At least that's one less thing to worry about. Any chance you can locate Ronon and McKay?"

_"As you know it is impossible to distinguish between the various life signs. However, I believe they are currently trapped within a dead end room in a far corner of the facility."_

"What makes you think that?"

_"The signals approaching the room either stop before entering, or fade away entirely."_

"Ronon," Lorne and Teyla stated in unison. "Kreola," Lorne continued, "I need you to tell me how to get to them. Look for a group of four stationary signals in a room north of a large central room on the lowest level."

_"Four?"_

"Sgt. Michaels and Cpl. Hutchins were leading the enemy away. They should be nearing the transporter room by now."

_"We're there now sir,"_ Michaels stated over the radio. _ "We heard the transmission. Shall we return to assist?"_

"Negative. Proceed as planned and return to the jumper."

_"I believe I have your position," _Kreola broke in_. "Head north until you come to a three way split. Take the central passage, then a right, left, and another left. And hurry, there is another squad of soldiers moving toward them."_

"Right." To the ones in the room he stated, "Move out!" Without any further prodding they were off, the urgency of the situation pressing them for speed, hoping they wouldn't be too late.

oOo oOo oOo

Ronon growled in anger as he threw the weapon aside; another one out of power. It didn't matter if it was set for stun or lethal, the weapons only lasted for a few dozen shots before sputtering and dying. McKay had said something about batteries and cooling down periods, but they simply didn't have time to sit and let the darn weapons 'cool down'. It seemed all the guards they had knocked out on the way in had recovered and were now in the hall, waiting. Ronon had managed to scavenge a few extra guns before the almost continual presence of the guards. They were now down to one functional gun, his knives, and the stupid beam McKay still carried.

"Any time now, McKay," he called out before firing down the hall, growling as he only wounded the soldier. McKay didn't know he had switched back to lethal, and he wasn't about to tell him, but it didn't matter. The Velian numbers seemed to remain constant despite those he took down.

"What do you think I've been doing?" the scientist asked in frustration. "Broke is broke!"

"Said the same thing on the prison colony, but you got that jumper working."

"For about five seconds."

"That's all we need. Keep trying." Ronon heard a loud sigh and risked a quick glance, seeing McKay once again messing with the crystals behind one of the panels in the wall. He knew the scientist had done some of his best work under extreme pressure, and it didn't get much worse than this. He could no longer feel his right arm, and the lightheadedness from the blood loss wasn't helping either. Yet there wasn't any choice. There was no way he would the Velians force the scientist to work for them again. He had to keep defending, had to protect McKay, no matter the cost.

_"Doctor McKay,"_ a voice echoed down the hall, _"this is foolish. You know you cannot escape."_ The clatter of a dropped crystal filled the room. Ronon looked back, seeing the wide-eyed look on the scientist's face.

"Kizel," McKay quietly stated, the fear evident in his voice.

_"Surrender. If you lay down your weapons, you will not be harmed."_

"Don't answer him," Ronon stated.

_"You know it is only a matter of time. If you surrender now, your friend will not be harmed."_

"You know he's lying."

_"Do you really wish to sacrifice the life of your friend? Choose now!" _

McKay knew the Magistrate wouldn't hesitate to kill Ronon without a second thought, just as he had nearly killed the Atlantis scientists in the mines. And in reality, what choice was there? Despite Ronon's assurances of 'I'm fine', he knew the warrior was anything but fine. And the only real weapon they had was the one gun. Ronon had his knives, but only one working arm. And that stupid beam he had? Lot of good that'd do; he was horrible at baseball! What made him think he'd be any good with it now? If he did surrender, at least there was a chance Ronon would be okay. If he didn't, Ronon was as good as dead. What type of choice was that?

Ronon saw McKay's facial expression change to one of defeat. The man was seriously going to just give in? "McKay, don't." The scientist didn't say anything as he removed his pack, dropping it to the ground. "McKay."

"Not much choice."

"There's always a choice."

"Not this time." Looking up he called out louder, "Do you promise Specialist Dex will be unharmed?"

_"Of course,"_ came the much too jovial response, _"I give you my word."_

"Lotta good that'll do," Ronon spat out. "You know he'll break it the instant you're in his control. Don't do it."

"I have to." In anger Ronon raised the gun, aiming it McKay. That certainly got the man's attention, his eyes changing from puzzlement, to fear, to anger. "What, you going to shoot me?"

"If I have to, yes."

"Ronon…"

"No way I'm going to let you walk out that door and become their slave a second time. So either get back to working on that panel, or I'll just shoot you now."

The two glared at each other for several moments before McKay threw his hands up in the air. "You are just so… so… ugh!" He started to reach down for his pack but stopped when gunfire was heard, followed by returning sounds of the Velian guns. "What was that?" he asked, automatically reaching for the beam, wanting to have some sort of weapon handy. Ronon listened a moment longer before a grin broke out on his face.

"Our guys," he answered before moving and firing, taking a soldier out in the back. The Velians were caught in the crossfire, and against the Atlanteans' stronger weapons they soon were overcome. While Everett and Barnett secured the prisoners, Lorne and Teyla entered the room. Ronon brushed off Teyla's attempts to check his wounds, instead insisting they leave before more guards arrived.

"It's okay, there's no more heading this way," Lorne stated. "Kreola reports they're actually leaving the area. I say we get out of here before they change their mind."

"We've tried, but this transporter doesn't work," McKay told him. "It's broke."

"Yeah, that's what we thought in the crystal room," Lorne told him. "Turns out you just gotta know where you want to go first."

"Doc, someone wants to talk to you," Everett announced, prodding a wounded Kizel into the room. A not-so-gentle shove had the Magistrate on his knees, one arm clutched to his still bleeding side.

"Doctor McKay, please," he begged. "You don't understand how desperate we were. You are the only one who can get the defense system operational. We had no choice." McKay stared open mouthed at the man, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"You're kidding! No choice? You could've simply asked for my help instead of kidnapping and forcing me to help you. Did you ever think of that?"

Now it was Kizel's turn to stare. "Ask you? The work is so difficult, you would have said no."

"Are you kidding?" Everett asked. "The Doc doesn't know how to say no to a challenge, 'specially when it comes to these Ancient gizmos."

Kizel looked in shock between the soldiers and the scientist, seeing the words were spoken in truth. Realizing the monstrous mistake he had made, he hung his head low. "I … I didn't know. I thought we had no other choice."

"There's always a choice," McKay stated, looking at Ronon, who was reluctantly being supported by Teyla. "And right now, I choose to go home."

"I second that," Lorne said. After Everett had pushed the Magistrate out and Barnett had entered, Lorne moved to the display, picturing the crystal room in his mind. "Beam me up, Scotty," he quietly commented, and placed his hand on the display.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Several days later…_**

"Focus, McKay!"

"I am focusing. What do you think I'm doing? I … OW!"

The wooden practice sword fell to the ground as McKay clutched at his injured arm, glaring. Ronon simply grinned, twirling his own weapon easily with his left hand. Although his right arm felt fine, Beckett had insisted it remain wrapped in a sling and had placed Ronon under the strict order to 'take it easy'. Ronon had kept his promise - fighting left-handed against McKay was easy, almost too easy.

"Come on McKay," he prodded, indicating the fallen weapon. "One more time."

"I think I've been beat up enough for one day," the scientist stated, moving to the side bench and grabbing his water bottle. "Don't you have someone else to abuse?"

"You're the one who wanted to learn more self defense," Ronon reminded him.

"Defense, yes, as in able to not get hit. Not defense as in 'let's turn Rodney into a punching bag.'"

"Oh it's not that bad," Sheppard called from the doorway. "You lasted at least ten seconds that time." McKay turned and frowned as the solider walked into the room, taking a seat on the bench next to Ula. "You agree, don't you?" The creature's tails flicked in agreement. "See? Even Ula thinks so."

"Don't you have something better to be …" McKay stopped, looking at the creature. "Really?" Seeing the tails flick again, McKay's face switched from annoyance to pride. "Well, I've always been a fast learner." He missed the amused look that passed between the warrior and soldier.

"Have they decided?" Ronon asked Sheppard, uncapping and taking a long drink from his water bottle. He was referring to the meeting between Weir, Teyla, and several Velian diplomats that had been arranged on a neutral planet.

"Yep," the soldier replied, "They just came back a few minutes ago. Thought you'd like to know."

"Do tell," McKay muttered, taking a seat next to Ula, one hand absently stroking her soft fur. With the exception of a small scar along her back, she had made a full recovery. "The anxiety is killing me. Course, they did a good job doing that too."

"You didn't even have a scratch," Sheppard reminded him, then instantly regretted it as a hurt look crossed his friend's face. McKay still felt guilty over the injuries of his teammates: Ula delivering the message, Ronon defending him, Sheppard battling the Dart, Teyla fighting the guards to reach him. Everyone had been hurt, all because of him.

"So?" Ronon asked to change the topic. He knew McKay had asked him for training as a result of the Velian incident. The scientist felt had useless during the escape attempt even though Ronon had pointed out if he hadn't hacked into the systems to begin, with they never would have managed to get away.

"Well for starters," Sheppard answered, "turns out only a few of the Velians outside the facility even knew of its existence. Once the rest found out what had happened, Kizel was quickly stripped of his rank, along the entire council and several of the top scientists who supported him. Actually, they've been stripped, literally. Seems the punishment on Velia is to drop off the offenders in a remote part of the planet to fend for themselves for a few weeks. They reportedly have very few repeat offenders."

Ronon grinned at the image it conjured up. "Effective. Go on."

"The village quickly elected a new Magistrate and council. As of today, Suya is the new leader of the Velians."

"Suya? You're kidding right? Isn't she just a kid?" McKay asked. He had remembered seeing the young girl with Teyla soon after they had been rescued from the facility. Lorne had informed him of her assistance in finding them.

"Age isn't as important as knowledge. She knows the workings of Velia better than anyone."

"Yea for her," was the muttered response.

"You should be grateful, Rodney. She's the one who sought out a peace treaty, as well as promising an open trade agreement in any and all science and technology they discover in addition to granting us full access to the facility. You'll be able to continue your study of those Ancient doodads you love so much."

"Uh, yeah, no thanks. Think I'll pass." He didn't have any intention on returning to that facility for a long time.

"She thought you'd say that, so she brought several items along as a token of her apology. Lorne had them brought to your lab."

"Really?" The scientist seemed to perk up, standing and grabbing his pack. "Well, in that case, guess I could take a look after all." Ula jumped off the bench and followed him out of the room. A moment later he poked his head back in. "Don't forget your lesson," he reminded Ronon before disappearing again.

"Lesson?" Sheppard asked with a raised eye. "What lesson could Rodney possibly teach, Sarcasm 101?"

Ronon smirked. "Not quite. Figured I should try to understand a little of what he does, instead of just pretending."

"Not a bad idea. Just don't think I could take Rodney as my teacher. Wonder if I could coach a few lessons from Radek." He grabbed Ronon's bag, much to the annoyance of the other.

"I can carry it."

"I know. I just don't feel like having Carson yell at me when he sees you've been working out, despite his orders to take it easy."

"That was easy," Ronon grumbled.

"I know," Sheppard replied with a knowing smile, which caused a soft chuckle from the warrior. McKay really was improving, albeit ever so slowly, yet it wasn't even close to a challenge. Whereas the scientist had been exhausted Ronon hadn't even broken a sweat. He moved his right arm; it was barely sore thanks the skilled hands of one Doctor Beckett. Maybe the good doctor would free him from the cursed 'light duty' a few days early.

"If you think Carson is going to allow you off light duty, think again," Sheppard informed him, having read thoughtful expression on his face. "Believe me, I know." Ronon's look of disappointment made the solider laugh. "Come on, let's drop this bag off and grab some lunch. I hear they're serving brownies today. Better hurry before Rodney grabs them all."

oOo oOo oOo

"Well lassie, seems like you'll make a full recovery, although you may experience sharp headaches in the future."

"Thank you, Doctor Beckett." Lying on the infirmary bed, wrapped within so many layers of bandages she could barely move, Deidre bowed her head toward the physician. "I owe you my life. I am in your debt."

"Nonsense," he gently scolded her, "it's my job as a doctor to see to the welfare of my patients, all of them. Now, how do you feel? Any pain?"

"No, sir," she replied truthfully. Deidre still could not believe the kindness these strangers had shown her. She first thought she had been brought to meet the Ancestors, lying in a room with the most beautiful stained glass windows she had ever seen. Then the doctor had appeared and explained what happened, how she had been rescued and brought to a small sanctuary to recover. She had nearly broken down, unable to comprehend the compassion shown her way. The medicines used were far beyond anything she had ever known on Velia. What a fool Kizel had been to dismiss such an important item, trading it away without a second thought while ordering her to capture the scientist. Though she was simply following orders, she would never forgive herself for such deceit.

"I've told ye before, call me Carson."

"Sorry, sir." He let out a soft sigh. When the medical team had brought Deidre into the operating room, he could hardly believe the amount of injuries she had sustained. Yet with patience and skill each wound had been cleaned and treated, each broken bone set. Although she would require physical therapy and several months to fully heal, he didn't doubt her resolve to do so.

"Now you remember what I told you about slowly working your muscles back?"

"I remember. Take it slow and steady, a little more each day. If I push myself too hard, you will personally come after me." He laughed.

"Memorized it word for word? I'm impressed. Let's see if you can follow orders better than my regular patients."

"I heard that," came a voice from the hallway. Sheppard stepped inside, taking a position nearby. On his way back from lunch he had decided to stop by and check in on their 'guest'. "How are you feeling?" he asked Deidre.

"Well thanks to Doctor Beckett, and alive thanks to you, Colonel Sheppard. I have not had the chance to thank you properly for what you did. And I cannot apologize enough for what I have done."

Sheppard waved her off with his good hand. "Just following orders. I know how that goes. Question is what are you going to do now?"

"Take it slow and steady," she answered seriously, which caused Beckett to laugh again.

"I believe he means now that Kizel is gone, lass."

"Oh. I will serve the new Magistrate faithfully, as I have always done. But only as long as she follows the right path," she added. "I will never again follow orders so blindly."

"Good to hear," the solider told her. "You're an amazing pilot. I expect a friendly rematch once you're back to normal."

Deidre struggled to place her right fist over her heart. "It is a promise, Colonel Sheppard," she answered solemnly before smiling. Next time, she would win for sure.

oOo oOo oOo

"Doctor Weir, I still cannot thank you enough for your hospitality," Suya stated, bowing low to the leader of the Atlantis expedition. "After what happened to Doctor McKay and Specialist Dex, we are forever in your debt." Nearly a month had passed since the incident. Once again meeting on a neutral planet, Suya had come to personally offer thanks for a recent shipment of much needed medicine. As a token of gratitude she had brought several more Ancient artifacts that had recently been found in hidden in the Kizel's chamber.

"There is no debt, Suya," Weir informed her. "Those in your government who committed the crime have been punished."

"Still, if only I had known what was happening," Suya started, but Weir stopped her.

"But you didn't. Most of your people didn't. What is important is that once you found out, you risked your own safety to help my people. That is what makes a person strong and what makes you a true friend."

"And you ours." The young Magistrate offered a shy smile in response, reaching into one of her pockets and taking out a small green crystal. "This has been in my family for many generations, passed from mother to daughter during her coming of age ceremony. It is a symbol of remembrance for the past, dedication for the present, and hope for the future."

"Suya, I cannot take something of such value to you."

"Please, Doctor Weir." Reluctantly, Weir took the offered item. The three-sided crystal was only a few inches long, and etched onto each side were several Ancient characters. Rotating it she read each side: Tribute, Devotion, Hope.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. Suya simply smiled, offering another bow before moving back to where her escort waited near the Ancestral ring. With a nod of her head, the ring was dialed and the Velians departed. Though she was young, Weir had no doubts that Suya would be both a wise and kind Magistrate who would lead her people into prosperity. Reverently placing the crystal in her pocket, Weir moved back to her own escort.

"Alright," she told them, "let's go home."

oOo oOo oOo

"No, no, no! Again!" Ronon let out a deep growl, causing McKay to unconsciously take a couple steps back. "That is, you're close but not close enough?" With a frustrated sigh Ronon awkwardly switched two more crystals and the door slid open. Finally. "See, that wasn't so hard."

"Yeah, sure," he responded, closing up the panel as McKay had instructed. Basic Crystals 101, the scientist had called it. Sure didn't seem basic. Most of the crystals looked alike, and it was mainly luck he managed to get the door open in only three tries.

"Now that you got that, it's time for something a little more complicated."

"Not now."

"What do you mean not now?" McKay asked in annoyance. "This was your idea, remember? It's not like I don't have better things to do than sit here watching you exchange crystals all day long." His mouth snapped shut when Ronon turned toward him.

"I mean it's your turn. Today is takedown techniques."

"What? Oh, uh, about that. See, my arms still a little sore from the last time and…"

"McKay." The scientist instantly went quiet. "Your idea, remember?"

"Oh, right." Dejectedly, McKay picked up his pack. "Guess I'll just drop this off at my lab first."

"Don't be late this time," Ronon warned him. With a loud sigh, McKay headed out, absently rubbing at his arms. Ula jumped off the bench to follow but paused, turning back toward the warrior with what looked like amusement at the situation. Wait, was she laughing at him? "Get out of here," he grumbled. Another amused look and she was gone, back to the side of the one she had chosen to protect.

With a sigh Ronon picked up the small bag of tools McKay had given him to practice with. He still didn't understand most of it, but he was slowly learning. He knew he'd never be a real scientist, but at least next time he wouldn't be completely useless either. Now he just had to make sure McKay felt the same way in a fight. A sly grin crept onto his face as he thought of the perfect technique to teach. Sure there might be some bruising, but what was training without a few bumps and scrapes? With a light hum he headed toward the gym, eager to begin.


End file.
